Bhubaneswar: After intensive search for two days, Commissionerate Police arrested Dinabandhu Nayak, president of the Smart City Online Auto Taxi Drivers’ Association, from Puri in connection with the violent incidents during a protest by the drivers in Bhubaneswar.
Nayak had been absconding since the violent protest by online auto drivers at Bhubaneswar Master Canteen Square on August 19.
Bhubaneswar DCP Jagamohan Meena confirmed that police tracked Nayak using multiple sources and CCTV footage after he had gone underground in Puri following the clashes.
With his arrest on Friday, the total number of people taken into custody by the police in connection with the incident has risen to 114. All the arrested drivers are now in jail.
Hours before being arrested, Nayak had released a video message apologising to the public and government and seeking forgiveness. “The public faced inconvenience, and I am sorry. A mistake is a mistake. We accept it. This should never have happened and will never happen again,” he said in the message.
While denying any political backing for the violence, he claimed to be a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The arrest comes amid heightened police action following the violent agitation.
Police sources said that Nayak’s mobile phone had remained switched off since the August 19 violence. The moment his apology video surfaced, officers moved swiftly and zeroed in on his IP address, leading to the arrest.
Seven cases have been registered at Kharavela Nagar police station in connection with the violence — two on the basis of public complaints, four by AMA Bus staff, and one by the police.
On Thursday, police used bulldozers to completely demolish the “illegal” online auto stand at Master Canteen that drivers had “occupied” for a long time. Bhubaneswar RTO-1 has also initiated the process to cancel the permits of the seized autos.
Meanwhile, the impact of the violence continues to hurt ordinary citizens in the city. Ola, Uber, and other online cab and auto services still remain severely disrupted across the capital. Even when vehicles appear on apps, fares have shot up by nearly 50 per cent due to limited availability.
