BHUBANESWAR: Former minister and BJD Pipili Assembly constituency candidate Pradeep Maharathy was arrested hours after members of the election flying squad and Static Surveillance Team came under attack while conducting a raid at his farmhouse at Hunkeipur village in Pipili late Sunday night.
Director General of Police Dr RP Sharma confirmed that Maharathy was arrested following a complaint in this regard.
Acting on a tip-off about freebies like cash and alcohol being allegedly distributed at the farmhouse, a 15-member team led by an executive magistrate conducted the raid. However, the officials were left startled as the supporters of Maharathy brutally thrashed them. Fearing for their lives, the 15 members left one car at the farmhouse and fled the spot in another vehicle. With the issue snowballing into a controversy, the former Minister was arrested by State Police.
"Pipili IIC informed that freebies were being distributed at Maharathy's house following which we conducted a raid there. When we reached, Maharathy arrived there, started hurling abuses and thrashed us. ASI Binay Kumar Das, a driver and I sustained injuries in the attack," executive magistrate of the flying squad, Rabi Narayan Patra said.
Patra expressed his anguish saying that they faced such unprecedented situation while attempting to control the violations ahead of the elections. The injured official was later rushed to Capital Hospital.
"The officials received information about illegal activities at the farmhouse and were attacked while investigating the allegations. Executive magistrate and police officers sustained injuries in the incident. We are recording their statements to identify all those involved in the crime," Puri SP Uma Shankar Dash told The Express.