Dhenkanal: Right to Information (RTI) activist Priyabrata Gadnayak was critically injured after unidentified miscreants allegedly attacked him with a sword on National Highway 55 near Mahishapat Chhak, close to Odisha’s Dhenkanal town, late on Wednesday.
He sustained severe injuries to his face, hands, and legs and was immediately rushed to the district headquarters hospital (DHH) in Dhenkanal, where he is undergoing treatment in critical condition.
The incident took place when Gadnayak, who is also the vice president of Dhenkanal District Congress Committee (DCC), was returning home. “A man came on a black pulsar motorcycle and slapped me. There were others on a bullet motorcycle.
They smashed the windows of my vehicle and attacked me with a sword,” the RTI activist told the media.
Gadnayak said he can identify some of the attackers and suspected political enmity as a possible reason for the brutal assault.
Police have registered a case and launched an investigation to identify and apprehend the miscreants, who fled the scene after the coordinated attack.
Gadnayak has been active in exposing corruption through RTI filings in the Dhenkanal region and also contested elections as an independent candidate from Dhenkanal Lok Sabha constituency in 2024. His dual role as an RTI crusader and Congress functionary has drawn attention, with some political leaders, including senior Congress figures, condemning the attack and demanding swift justice.
“I strongly condemn the brutal attack on RTI activist and Dhenkanal DCC Vice President Shri Priyabrat Gadanayak. This shocking incident exposes the alarming collapse of law & order in Odisha. We demand a fair and impartial investigation and strict action against the culprits,” OPCC president Bhakta Das posted on X.