Usasi Misra Assault Case: Two More Arrested For ‘Harbouring’ Prime Accused

Photograph: Ashok Panda

Angul: Hours after the arrest of prime accused Indramani Sahu and his son Sujit, Kaniha police on Monday took into custody two more persons in connection with the assault on Ollywood actress Usasi Misra at Derang in Odisha’s Angul district on the night of April 22.

The two arrested have been identified as Dushmanta Sahu of Balaramprasad village and Sudhansu Nayak of Kaniabedha village.

The duo was arrested for giving shelter to Indramani and his son Sujit and helping them to abscond after the incident, police said.

With this, the total number of arrests in the case has gone up to five.

Police had arrested Indramani’s driver Dushmanta Behera, a day after the incident. The prime accused had lodged a counter FIR against Usasi at Talcher SDJM court on April 26, alleging that she had manhandled him.

In the complaint, he had accused the actress of issuing a death threat against him. The incident took place while he was trying to park his car. The vehicle accidentally brushed against the actress, who was standing near the stage ahead of her performance organised by Eastern Blue Opera, he had said.

The actress reacted violently and when Indramani got down from the vehicle, she held his collar, abused and beat him up. He fell down and was rescued by his two sons and some eyewitnesses, who rushed to the spot. Later, Usasi fled the spot and threatened to implicate him and his sons in a false case, the complaint added.

Indramani had demanded that cases should be registered against Usasi under Sections 341, 323, 294, 307 and 506 of the IPC.

Alleging inaction by Kaniha police, Usasi on Sunday met Director General of Police (DGP) Dr RP Sharma in Bhubaneswar and demanded immediate action against the culprits to which the latter had assured her that he would look into the incident at the earliest.

The Ollywood actress was accompanied by the members of the Odisha Cine Critic Association.

The incident took place on the night of April 22 when Usasi was allegedly beaten up and molested at Derang where she had gone to perform in an opera.

On being informed, Kaniha police had rushed to the spot and pacified the villagers. The opera show began after an hour.

Police sources said Indramani and his two sons allegedly manhandled the actress and even hurled abuses at her. They also damaged her car.