BJD MLA Pradeep Maharathy arrested for attack on EC officials

Puri: BJD candidate from Pipili Assembly constituency and sitting MLA Pradeep Maharathy was on Monday arrested for allegedly attacking election officials during a raid in Pipili area of Odisha’s Puri district last night.

Earlier in the day, Maharathy was questioned at the Pipili police station.

Maharathy and his supporters allegedly attacked a flying squad team led by executive magistrate Rabi Narayan Patra while conducting a raid on his farmhouse in Pipili area.

The injured including the magistrate have been admitted to the Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar.

A flying squad, a static surveillance team and a video surveillance team had raided a farmhouse in Pipili around 12.30 AM after getting information about distribution of liquor and money.

Some miscreants launched attack on the three teams leaving five officials injured. The victims have been identified as flying squad officer Rabi Narayan Patra, videographers Purna Chandra Dash & Sushant Pradhan and two others.