CUTTACK: A special court here on Thursday framed charges against Bhartruhari Mahtab, BJD’s Lok Sabha member from Cuttack, in a case related to allegedly assaulting a police officer on duty 13 years ago. Mahtab was present in the court during framing of the charges.
Assistant public prosecutor Afroz Ahmed said the Court of Judicial Magistrate First Class, Cuttack, dealing with cases against MPs and MLAs, framed the charges against Mahtab and posted the case for trial from April 5, 2024.
“The charges against Mahtab were framed under sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 506 (criminal intimidation),” the APP said.
Official sources said sub-inspector Amitabh Mohapatra (now assistant commissioner of police) had lodged a complaint with Dargha Bazar police alleging Mahtab had assaulted him during a function on January 23, 2011. The charges were framed on the basis of chargesheet submitted after investigation into the complaint.
The incident had taken place just after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik arrived at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Birthplace Museum Complex to inaugurate a special programme commemorating Netaji’s 114th birth anniversary.
As per the complaint, Mahtab followed the chief minister into the museum complex. However, when his supporters were not allowed inside by the police, he returned to the gate and allegedly assaulted sub-inspector Amitabh Mohapatra, who was on duty at that time.
Mahtab was not available for a comment on the matter.