Bhubaneswar, June 30 (IANS) High drama unfolded in Bhubaneswar on Monday evening as corporators from the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and staff members of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) staged a road blockade on the bustling Janpath Road of the city.

They were demanding the immediate arrest of miscreants, including a corporator, allegedly linked to a senior leader of the ruling BJP, for assaulting an Additional Commissioner of the BMC, Ratnakar Sahoo, earlier in the day.

As a result of the protest, hundreds of commuters and vehicles were stranded for over an hour between Vani Vihar Square and Master Canteen Square.

“We are demanding that all the persons involved in the crime should be arrested immediately and they should be booked under stringent sections related to ‘Attempt to murder’,” demanded BMC Mayor, Sulochana Das.

Meanwhile, senior BJD leaders Ashok Panda, Arun Sahoo, Mayor Sulochana Das, etc were later picked up from the spot where the protestors were holding a sit-in protest.

The police later brought the situation under control by evicting the protestors from the spot.

Reacting to the video of the assault doing rounds on social media, Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik stated, “I am utterly shocked seeing this video.

Today, Ratnakar Sahoo, OAS Additional Commissioner, BMC, a senior officer of the rank of Additional Secretary was dragged from his office and brutally kicked and assaulted in front of a BJP Corporator, allegedly linked to a defeated BJP MLA candidate.

What is more appalling is that this happened in broad daylight, in the heart of the capital city-#Bhubaneswar to a senior officer while he was in his office, hearing grievances of people.”

He also demanded exemplary action against the accused persons whose name has been mentioned in the complaint copy lodged by Sahoo.

“I ask @MohanMOdisha Ji to take immediate and exemplary action against not only those who perpetrated but more importantly the political leaders who orchestrated and conspired this shameful attack. The people named by the officer in his FIR have behaved like criminals. If a senior officer is not safe in his own office, then what law and order will ordinary citizens expect from the Government. I only hope that CM Majhi directs immediate action to be taken to restore faith in his government and not allow this heinous act to go unpunished like the assault on an officer by the ex-Governor’s son. The people of #Odisha will not forgive this,” added Patnaik.

The Odisha Administrative Officers (OAS) association have also demanded stringent action against the culprits. Meanwhile, acting on the FIR lodged by Sahoo, the Kharvel Nagar Police on Monday evening arrested three persons. The accused were identified as identified as Jeevan Rout, ⁠Rashmi Mahapatra and ⁠Debashis Pradhan.

As per the complaint, at around 11.30 a.m. on Monday, when the public grievance meeting was in progress in the presence of other officers, staff and general people at the BMC office, six to seven unknown individuals entered the premises unauthorisedly and assaulted him after enquiring about whether he had conversation with BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan over phone.

–IANS

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