Bhubaneswar: Police have detained the prime accused in the case of assault on family members of a corporator candidate of BJP in the elections to Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).
According to sources, the prime accused, Shikhar Jena, was detained in Laxmisagar police station for questioning in connection with the case.
As the news of Jena’s detention spread, hundreds of his supporters gathered in front of the police station and staged a demonstration. Raising slogans against the police action, they demanded immediate release of Jena.
In order to prevent the situation from escalating, 2 platoons of police force were deployed at the police station.
It may be noted that family members of BJP corporator candidate Dharitri Jena had gone to file a complaint at the police station to lodge a complaint over tearing of her posters late Friday night. While they were returning after filing the complaint, around 60 people attacked them with wooden planks and iron rods.
Dharitri’s rival BJD candidate’s husband and BJD’s corporator candidate from ward no 32 were among those who assaulted the BJP candidate’s husband, brother-in-law and three others. Three family members of Dharitri were critically injured in the attack and admitted to hospital.