Crime Branch To Probe Assault On Ex-MP Kharavela Swain

Bhubaneswar/Rayagada: A day after the assault on former MP Kharavela Swain at Kashipur in Rayagada district, Director General of Police (DGP) RP Sharma on Sunday ordered a Crime Branch probe into the incident.

“The Crime Branch will conduct a thorough investigation into the incident to ascertain the reason behind the assault on the former MP and the conspiracy behind the assault. Besides, the state investigating wing is most likely to bring the previous assaults on him at Ali in Kendrapara and Khaira in Balasore district under the purview of its investigation,” the DGP told the media in Bhubaneswar.

Meanwhile, Swain met the additional SP, Rayagada, Patitapabana Choudhury at his office in the morning and lodged a complaint against the accused, who, he said was a member of the Biju Yuva Vahini.

“We have detained a youth, identified as Sumanta Nayak, at the Kashipur police station for interrogation. The investigation is on and stern action would be taken against the guilty,” the additional SP said.

“The BJD workers are attacking me as I have been giving statements against the ruling party. But that will not deter me from attending the meeting,” Swain told the mediapersons in Rayagada.

The former MP said that he had informed the police about his arrival at Kashipur and requested them to take necessary steps. But they did not take any action. “I have a strong feeling that the BJD has resorted to ‘goondaism’ as it is apprehensive of losing the Assembly elections this time,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, briefing mediapersons at the party’s headquarters office in Bhubaneswar, BJP state unit general secretary Bhrugu Baxipatra said both Sumanta Nayak and Krushna Nayak, who had assaulted Swain at Kashipur, are the members of Biju Yuva Vahini.

“The police had detained the duo last evening. But they released Krushna Nayak later in the day. We have the information that Krushna is a driver of a local BJD leader. On the other hand, the name of Sumanta Nayak was deleted from Biju Yuva Vahini list soon after the incident,” Baxipatra said.

Notably, the two accused had assaulted Swain while he was addressing a roadside meeting at Kashipur on Saturday evening. They had also threatened to kill him if he uttered anything against the BJD.