BHUBANESWAR: A special court on Saturday granted bail to senior BJD leader Pradeep Maharathy in connection with the alleged attack on a team of Election Commission flying squad officials earlier this week.
“The bail was granted against two sureties of `50,000 each and the court also asked him to cooperate with the investigation officer of the case and appear before him whenever required, not to tamper with evidence or influence the witnesses,” said Bidyalok Mohapatra, lawyer of the BJD leader.
The police, earlier in the day, submitted the case diary and injury report pertaining to the incident. The Court had deferred his bail plea to Saturday as police could not submit case diary and injury report during the hearing on Wednesday.
Maharathy, who is contesting from Pipili Assembly seat, was arrested for attacking members of the election flying squad and Static Surveillance Team during a raid at his farmhouse at Hunkeipur village in Pipili on April 21 night as part of checking during election.
On a tip-off that freebies like cash and alcohol were allegedly being distributed at the farmhouse before the third phase of polls, a 15-member team of election squad led by an Executive Magistrate raided the farmhouse. But, Maharathy and his supporters attacked them. ASI Binay Kumar Das, a driver and Executive Magistrate of the flying squad, Rabi Narayan Patra sustained injuries in the attack.
Police registered a case under Sections 147, 148, 149, 171 (b), 186, 307, 332, 341 and 353 of IPC along with Section 123 of Representation of the People Act. Soon after arrest, Maharathy was shifted to Capital Hospital and he is reportedly undergoing treatment for diabetes and fluctuating blood pressure.