Cuttack: The Orissa High Court on Tuesday granted interim relief to two BJP leaders Golak Mohapatra and Bhrugu Buxipatra in connection with the murder of BJD councillor of Chhatrapur Municipality, Laxmidutta Pradhan in September 2017.
The court, while directing the police to submit a case diary pertaining to this case, posted the hearing to April 19.
Chhatrapur police in Ganjam district had served notices on Mohapatra and Buxipatra on January 29 and asked them to appear in the Chhatrapur police station on February 7 and 9 respectively for interrogation.
However, both the leaders did not act on the notice citing health issues and later moved the High Court for anticipatory bail through their counsels.
Notably, the incident had taken place in the broad daylight on September 16, 2017, when a group of men dragged Pradhan (35), the councillor of ward no-6, out of his house in Chhatrapur and attacked him with sharp weapons. Pradhan was taken to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur ,where he succumbed to injuries.
According to police, Pradhan was an accused in the murder case of Sakuru Behera, a CPI supporter, at Chhatrapur on July 23, 2014.