Bhubaneswar: A police team from Kalahandi district reached the official residence of Narla MLA Manorama Mohanty in Bhubaneswar on Sunday as part of an ongoing investigation into a case registered against her husband, Durga Prasad Mohanty, who serves as chairman of Narla Block.
On March 15, a case was registered at Narla police station under relevant sections of BNS, pertaining to threat of injury to any public servant and criminal intimidation, on basis a complaint filed Narla Tehsildar Bibhu Prasad Singh, accusing Durga Prasad Mohanty of issuing death threats to him. An investigation has been underway since then. “Around 10-12 police personnel forcibly entered the house at 8.30 am. They checked some documents,” said the house help of the MLA.
Kalahandi police confirmed the visit as a routine step in the probe. Mohanty was also summoned at least four times earlier and asked to cooperate with the investigation. No arrests have been made so far.
Sources further stated that police had traced Mohanty to a hotel in the state capital, where he was hiding. However, he sneaked out with the help of some supporters.
Manorama Mohanty, who represents the Narla constituency in Kalahandi district as a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) legislator, won the seat in the 2024 Odisha Assembly elections, defeating her nearest rival by a margin of over 5,000 votes. As of now, neither the MLA nor her husband has issued any official statement or response to the allegations.
Meanwhile, the BJD has questioned the motive behind registration of the case ahead of March 16 Rajya Sabha elections, terming it a clear case of intimidation. It has also questioned the forcible entry of the male policemen into the MLA’s residence in her absence when only her daughter and a female house help were present.
