Odisha’s BJD MLA Alleges Conspiracy To Eliminate Him & His Daughter

Bhubaneswar: Former Odisha minister and BJD MLA from Polasara Srikant Sahu has lodged a complaint with police, alleging a conspiracy to eliminate him and his daughter.

The 50-year-old MLA lodged the complaint after receiving a WhatsApp message about a purported chat between fellow party leader Sanjukta Mahal, who had earlier levelled physical and mental harassment allegations against him, and one Bikash Behera, and sought their immediate arrest.

“Daya kari mo katha mana friend mu Srikanta mariba pain chahunchi mo bhauniki se mariachi ok mam apna mate tike sahajya kale mu bi taku maribi, ta jhia sum hospital re achi taku bi maribi ok mam apna mate tike help karantu (Please try to understand me friend; I want to kill Srikanta, he has killed my sister; Ma’am if you help me I will kill him. His daughter is in SUM Hospital, I will kill herself also, so please help me),” read the chat message in Odia.

Sanjukta then shared her number with him.

On the basis of the complaint, police have registered under Sections 506, 507 and 120-B of IPC related to criminal intimidation and conspiracy and started an investigation.

Sanjukta, on the other hand, accused the MLA of framing her in a false case. She alleged that the lawmaker created the fake account in the name of Bikash Behera with an intention to trap her.”I received the message on my Facebook account about two months ago and shared my number with him only to understand the matter. I too had lodged a complaint with cyber police station, Bhubaneswar DCP and Laxmisagar police station against Behera, but no action was taken on them,” she claimed.

She further alleged that the former Buguda tehsildar Sangram Keshari Jena, who was recently arrested in a disproportionate assets case, is a close aide of Sahu. “Fearing that I will spill the beans on his association with Jena, he conspired to put me behind bars,” she added.

Sanjukta had lodged a complaint against the MLA in April, following which he was reportedly asked to resign from the ministry. Later in August, she moved the Orissa High Court, seeking a direction to ensure proper investigation into her complaint.