A court here on Wednesday released BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan on bail who had been arrested in a case of physical assault of a senior Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officer in Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) office.
The District and Sessions Court, Khurda has released Pradhan on bail and a security of ₹30,000. The court has directed the government counsel to bring the telephonic conversation between Pradhan and the victim OAS officer Ratnakar Sahoo to the court. The court released Pradhan on bail as the government counsel "failed" to bring conversation evidence before the court, advocate Suresh Kumar Sahoo said.
Ratnakar Sahoo, Additional Commissioner of BMC, was mercilessly attacked, dragged across the office floor, kicked on the face and ridiculed by a group of persons, reportedly workers of Pradhan. The online viral video of the assault on the officer created a state-wide outrage compelling OAS officers to resort to strike for arrest of all the accused persons including Pradhan, accused of masterminding Sahoo's attack.
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Pradhan surrendered on Thursday evening in front of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar and was arrested and placed in custody. He was produced before the SDJM Court in Bhubaneswar who rejected his bail plea and sent him into a 14-day judicial custody.
Pradhan had been charged under different sections of BNS which encompasses crimes such as assault of public servants, hindering government work, and voluntarily causing grievous injury.
The Bharatiya Janata Party leader surrendered to the police as the members of the OAS Association launched a cease-work agitation throughout the state.
In the past, police had taken into custody five persons in relation to the case. While Pradhan secured bail today, the hearing of the bail petition of the remaining five accused is to be undertaken on July 15, the advocate added.
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