Puri: On the eve of third phase polling, BJD’s MLA candidate from Pipili Assembly constituency Pradeep Maharathy was arrested for allegedly assaulting polling party officials, including a Magistrate at his farmhouse at Hunkeipur under Pipili police station late on Sunday night.
He was initially detained by Pipili police for interrogation in connection with the attack and later arrested. The development came a day before third-phase poll in Six Lok Sabha seats and 42 assembly segments including politically-sensitive Pipil. The third phase election is scheduled on Tuesday.
The ruling party legislator has been charged with serious offences. including 307 (Attempt to Murder), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 341 (wrongful restraint), 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 147 (rioting), 148 (Rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 171-B (Bribery), 186 and Section 123 of Representation of People’s Act. He is unlikely to get bail in near future.
On Sunday late night Maharathy and his supporters attacked the flying squad at his farmhouse at Hunkeipur in Pipili area in Puri district.
According to reports, a 15-member team of the flying squad, a Static Surveillance Team (SST) and a videography team led by the Magistrate Rabi Narayan Patra reached the legislator’s farmhouse on getting information about distribution of money and liquor to influence voters ahead of third phase polls on April 23.
As soon as the team reached the farmhouse in two vehicles at around 12.30 am, they were allegedly attacked by Maharathy and his supporters. Patra has sustained injuries on his waist and leg.
Patra alleged that Maharathy himself attacked them. Besides Patra, four officials including ASI Binay Kumar Das, videographers Purna Chandra Dash and Sushant Pradhan and two others.
They have been admitted to the Capital Hospital here. Police have started investigation into the incident.
