Congress candidate's relatives stabbed in Odisha
BJD district youth president Dharmendra Adhikari, along with few others, allegedly stabbed the brother and the nephew of Bahinipati late on the election night.
Less than 24 hours after first-phase polling on Thursday, Jeypore in Koraput district, Rourkela and Gajapati witnessed post-poll violence. While relatives of Congress candidate for Jeypore assembly seat Tara Prasad Bahinipati were stabbed allegedly by BJD's Rabi Nanda's men.
BJD district youth president Dharmendra Adhikari, along with few others, allegedly stabbed the brother and the nephew of Bahinipati late on the election night. They were admitted to Jeypore hospital and then taken to Koraput before being shifted to a hospital in Vishakhapatnam after their condition deteriorated.
According to the FIR lodged by Bahinipati, his son and two nephews were in a hotel when they were attacked with sharp weapons around 1 pm. The BJD leader also attacked his brother while he was returning home, it added.
The Congress on Friday blocked NH 26 and gheraoed the police station, demanding arrest of the attackers. "After verifying footage of the CCTV camera at the hotel, we have registered a case against Adhikari, Ranjeet Bagh and Bapi Parida. Efforts are on to nab them," said IIC of Jeypore police station Surya Mani Pradhan.
School and mass education minister Rabi Narayan Nanda refuted the charges.