CUTTACK : A 45-year-old man hurled a shoe at Law Minister Pratap Jena while the latter was attending a function in his constituency, Mahanga, on Sunday evening.
The incident took place during 'Sarat Utsav', organised at Bhanja Mandap in Gokan panchayat. The man identified as Nagabhushan Swain of Bainpur village under Haladia gram panchayat tried to approach Jena who was sitting on the dais after addressing the event. When Jena's personal security officer (PSO) and some others prevented him, he took off his shoe and threw it at the Minister.
However, the shoe hit Jena's PSO who was standing behind him on the dais. The incident sparked tension at the spot as the Minister's supporters thrashed Swain who was rescued by police and detained. Swain was later released after it was ascertained he is suffering from mental illness.
"Swain was undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital for mental illness. As no FIR was filed against him, we handed him over to his family members on Monday," said Mahanga IIC Nihar Ranjan Mohanty.