KENDRAPARA: The drinking water pipeline at the residence of former Congress MLA Chinmaya Prasad Behura at Jayakrushnapur village within Nikirai police limits was found laced with pesticide on Saturday.
The incident came to light when a member of Behura family complained of the pungent smell of pesticide emanating from the overhead tank which was being filled with water drawn from a well. Some of the legislator’s family members felt uneasy after consuming the water.
As per the MLA’s family, some miscreants may have been behind poisoning the water by cutting a portion of the pipeline.On Sunday, the legislator’s brother Hiranya Behura lodged an FIR with Nikirai police station alleging some miscreants poisoned the water supply by damaging the pipeline with the intention of killing the family.
Basing on the FIR, police have launched an investigation and filed a case against unknown persons under sections 284, 277, 328 and 307 (d) of IPC. As the pipeline has been tampered with, it is suspected that miscreants had tried to poison the water.
“Police are examining the footage of nearby CCTV to nab the culprits. We advised the family members not to use the water. The water sample has been sent to officials of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation department at Kendrapara for analysis,” said Nikirai IIC Jyoti Prakash Swain. Behura said, “We have no enmity with anyone in the village. Police should probe the case to arrest the culprits.” Behura was elected from Bari Assembly segment in Jajpur district as a Congress candidate in 1995.