JAJPUR: The court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Jajpur Road has declared Kalinga Nagar Paribesh Surakhya Samiti (KNPSS) president Ashwini Kumar Dhal a proclaimed offender in an attempt to murder case registered against him and other office bearers two years back.
Jakhapura police, which is probing the criminal case, had sought the proclamation, on grounds that Dhal could not be traced even after the issuance of a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against him.
Sources said, in December 2020, KNPSS treasurer Alok Sia had objected to the organisation’s malafide functioning, fraudulent activities, and filing hoax complaints without any substantial basis by the president. This had enraged Dhal who along with some other associates allegedly attacked Sia and tried to kill him.
Sia, however, escaped and reached out to police. A case was then registered against Dhal and seven other KNPSS members under sections 307,341, 294, 323, 506 and 34 of the IPC.
While police arrested all the seven accused that year, Dhal has been at large since. As per reports, he moved the Orissa High Court for anticipatory bail but his bail applications were rejected twice.
The JMFC had issued NBW against Dhal but declared him a proclaimed offender after police were unable to arrest and produce him in court.