Berhampur: BJP MLA candidate Nilamani Bisoyee was produced in a local court, which rejected his bail plea and remanded him to judicial custody on Thursday night.
A nominee for Sorada Assembly seat under Aska Lok Sabha constituency, he was arrested earlier that day for allegedly ransacking the EVM control unit at booth no-182 in Sorada. This had disrupted polling in the booth.
Talking to the media, Bisoyee alleged that the BJD workers had damaged the EVM unit. “But the police made me a scapegoat after I protested the vandalism of the BJD workers and lodged a complaint,” he added.
On the other hand, IIC of Sorada police station Pravat Sahu said that the police have registered a case against Bisoyee on the basis of the complaint lodged by the polling agents present inside the booth. “There is no veracity in the allegation made by the BJP candidate,” he maintained.
Ganjam SP Brijesh Ray had said following a complaint lodged by the presiding officer and the polling staff, police had detained Bisoyee at the Sorada police station for further interrogation.
Ganjam collector Bijay Amrut Kulange had also said that he will apprise the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the incident.