BHUBANESWAR: A day after being expelled from the Biju Janata Dal, actor Tattwa Prakash Satpathy, charged with sexually exploiting a minor girl, was arrested on Thursday by Police Commissionerate from an apartment in Puri giving rise to speculation that the cops were waiting for the ruling party to oust him.
A special police team, which was trailing Satpathy (popularly known as Pappu Pom Pom), zeroed in on him and his aide Pradipta Swain, a co-accused, at Nandighosh Apartments in the pilgrim town. The apartment belongs to Swain.
Satpathy, who was slapped charges under Sections 354(A), 506, 509, 34 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 8 and 12 of the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, was produced before Khurda District and Sessions Court along with Swain in the evening.
Earlier in the day, the police had pasted a notice on the walls of Satpathy's Khandagiri residence directing him to depose before the police within 14 days. While rumour mills went on the overdrive over the arrest of the actor, the Commissionerate Police confirmed the arrest at about 4.30 pm and a formal announcement was made at 7 pm.
Police Commissioner YB Khurania told mediapersons that after issuing the notice, the police received inputs that the actor and his aide may not cooperate with the police and decided to arrest him.
"Since the charges against him attracted punishment of less than seven years, police proceeded as per law and served notice on the accused. However, it was learnt that the duo is not willing to cooperate with the investigation and is avoiding the police. Such circumstances necessitated arrest," Khurania said.
The Police Commissioner rubbished allegations of delay in arresting the actor and his accomplice. "There was no delay in investigation and action at all. The Bhubaneswar Police acted promptly and sensitively from the day the complaint was lodged and procedures were duly adhered to," he said.
"We also had information that they may shift to a farther location. This prompted the police to arrest Satpathy and his friend even though they were given 14 days to depose," he added.
A big draw in TV and Odia film industry, life has come a full circle for Satpathy who used to appear in the dock of a mock court playing various shades of characters drawn from contemporary Odia society in a television series called "Jaha Kahibi Sata Kahibi".
His name first figured in Oscar chit fund scam leaving the ruling party red-faced. Soon charges of exploiting a minor girl for giving break in films surfaced on June 25. Five days later, Satpathy found him in the dock. This time, a real one.