BHUBANESWAR: Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena on Friday filed a defamation suit in the court of Bhubaneswar SDJM against National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) State president Itish Pradhan and proprietor of web news portal Niakhunta.com Pradeep Pandey.
A defamation suit of Rs 1 crore was filed against Pradhan and Pandey who have charged of tarnishing the Mayor’s image by circulating a pornographic clip. Both of them have gone on record naming Jena as one of the characters who was seen in compromising position.
While the video, which was shot discreetly, has gone viral on Youtube and social media, Jena sought Pradhan and Pandey’s prosecution under Sections 500 (punishment for defamation) and 262 (fraudulently or with intent to cause loss to the Government) of the IPC and Sections 66 and 67 of the IT Act. ‘’They have made a direct attempt to malign my image as a person and elected representative by openly naming me in the video.
I have also requested the court and police to take appropriate measures to ban circulation of the video on social media,’’ Jena said. BJP stages road blockade, holds up traffic District unit of the BJP blocked the Raj Bhavan-Jaydev Vihar road by staging a demonstration at Power House square demanding a thorough probe into the Mayor’s video scandal and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s intervention in the matter. Speaking to mediapersons, BJP Bhubaneswar president Harekrushna Khuntia said Naveen should order Jena to step down immediately while the probe is underway.
‘’It is true that Mayor AN Jena is present in the video clip which is circulating on social and electronic media since Thursday. We have sufficient evidence to prove this claim,’’ he claimed. The BJP team met Police Commissioner YB Khurania and showed willingness to provide the evidence during probe if deemed necessary, Khuntia added. Traffic movement from Power House Square to Commissionerate Police office was hit as hundreds of BJP workers staged agitation for over an hour.
Vehicular movement was restored after the Police Commissioner assured the agitators of a proper inquiry into the matter. Cops issue notice to Pradhan and Pandey A day after the controversial video revealing intimate moments of two men and a woman made rounds on the social media, the Commissionerate of Police served notices to Pradhan and Pandey. The police action came after the Mayor lodged a complaint with Capital Police on Thursday night.
‘’Both Pradhan and Pandey have been directed to depose before the police and submit their points. The video will be sent for forensic examination,’’ Police Commissioner YB Khurania said. While Pandey has reportedly circulated the video on the Youtube account of Niakhunta. com, Pradhan went public and named Jena as one of the characters in the video at a press conference. On the other hand, Jena and supporters took out a rally at Station Square on Friday evening demanding immediate arrest of Pradhan and Pandey.