Indus Valley Times

By Sudhansu Singh

Bhubaneswar, Dec. 3:  The Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Odisha Crime Branch on Thursday produced expelled BJD MLA from Gopalpur, Pradeep Panigrahi in a local court here which rejected his bail plea and sent him into a 14-day judicial custody.

Mr Panigrahi was soon taken into Jharpada Special Jail here in the evening.

In the evening the EOW had picked up Panigrahi from his residence and minutes later had declared  the lawmaker arrested for cheating youths on the pretext of giving jobs in Tata Steel company.

Crime Branch sources said the lawmaker was booked under various Sections  419, 420, 467, 468, 469, and 120 (B) of the Indian Penal Code.

According to the lawmaker’s wife Sujata Panigrahi, some people who came in four vehicles arrived at their official residence in the evening and identified themselves as sleuths from the Crime Branch EOW.

“They took away my husband from our residence in Bhubaneswar and I’m afraid they might harm him. Without any notice or warrant, they picked up my husband. Is my husband is a Maoist or a terrorist that he’s been ill-treated by the officials?” questioned Sujata.

She added, “if the government had shown the same alacrity in case of Naxals the problem would not have existed by now.”