JAJPUR: A woman was arrested with 30 gram brown sugar from Dolipur-Mituani locality within Jajpur Road model police limits on Saturday. The accused, identified as Jhumuri Patra, is reportedly a BJD leader from ward no 19 of Vyas Nagar Municipality. Sources said, acting on a tip-off on presence of drug peddlers in the locality, an official of the Excise department’s flying squad went to Jhumuri’s house posing as a customer to buy brown sugar. As Jhumuri handed over the packet of contraband to the official, he signalled other members of his team who raided the house and seized the brown sugar.
The market value of the brown sugar is around Rs 3 lakh. Meanwhile, photos of the accused with a senior BJD leader went viral on social media soon after her arrest. However, president of Jajpur unit of Biju Mahila Janata Dal Sabita Rout said Jhumuri is not a member of the party. “During my tenure as the district president of Biju Mahila Janata Dal, I have never seen her (Jhumuri) participating in any party programme. We have never invited her to any of the functions organised by the party,” she said.