16 Held For Ransacking Begunia PS, Notice Issued To Local MLA

Begunia: In the wake of violence in which an irate mob, demanding the arrest of the local BJD MLA, ransacked the police station at Begunia in Odisha’s Khurda district on Wednesday afternoon, police have arrested 16 persons.

Khurda SP Dipti Ranjan Ray on Thursday said  that police till now have arrested 16 persons and seized 12 vehicles.

“Three special teams have been engaged in the search operation at Begunia and Bolagada to arrest the absconding persons involved in the incident,” he added.

The SP also said that a notice has been issued to local BJD MLA Prasant Jagdev following the incident.

On December 31 last year, Jagdev had allegedly assaulted former Begunia sarpanch Naba Kishore Swain in presence of the BDO and tehsildar at the block office and threatened to kill him if he visits any village under Begunia panchayat.

Though Swain had lodged a complaint in Begunia police station, no action was initiated against the MLA.

Protesting aginst police inaction, thousands of people of Begunia and Bolagada had gheraoed the police station on Wednesday afternoon.

Things turned ugly when police stopped some protesters from entering the police station. The irate mob then broke the lock of the main gate of the police station, ransacked the office properties and attacked some policemen in which Assistant Sub-Inspector Mahendra Sethi was injured.

The protesters, who later staged a road blockage on National Highway-57, told the media that the blockade will continue till the local MLA is arrested.