JAJPUR: A day after Dharmasala MLA Himanshu Sekhar Sahoo was allegedly attacked and his gold chain snatched by miscreants in Jajpur Town, police on Thursday arrested around 10 persons in connection with the incident.
Police sources said three teams were formed to investigate the matter. Raids were conducted at various locations and the 10 accused nabbed. “The accused were produced in court and later remanded in judicial custody after their bail pleas were rejected,” police said.
Meanwhile, security has been tightened in sensitive areas of Jajpur and Dharmasala in the district as a precautionary measure. ADG Sanjay Kumar is monitoring the situation closely to maintain peace in the region. The incident took place on Wednesday evening when Sahoo was on way to Jajpur town in his vehicle to attend a meeting at the office of the deputy director of mines (DDM). The legislator was attacked near the bridge on the Budha river.
As per sources, his vehicle had to stop as a few locals were staging a road blockade near the bridge by burning tyres on the Kuakhia-Jajpur Town road.
During this time, a few miscreants rushed to Sahoo’s vehicle and vandalised it. They also allegedly attacked Sahoo and his security officer with an iron rod, and snatched his gold chain.
The miscreants claimed they were supporters of former BJD organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das and were sent by him to kill Sahoo.
As the news of the attack on the MLA spread, hundreds of his supporters reached the spot and a face-off between them and the attackers took place.