BJD shuts Talcher over sex chat row

Bhubaneswar: BJD workers on Saturday observed Talcher bandh in protest against the allegations against local MLA Braja Kishore Pradhan for seeking sexual favour from a college girl on WhatsApp.
Supporters of the MLA were seen picketing in the industrial town by blocking the national highway and different roads. Business establishments didn't open their shops and communication was affected due to the bandh.After 11.30 am, traffic movement resumed and shops opened.
Sub-divisional police officer (Talcher) K C Parida said a supporter of the legialtor has lodged an FIR at the Talcher police station against some miscreants for damaging Pradhan's image. Nobody has issued any case against the MLA regarding it, he said.
The allegations came to the fore on Friday after some people put up printouts of a WhatsApp chat between an account in the name of the MLA and a girl all over the town. According to the posters, the lawmaker asked the girl to sleep with him for a night in exchange for a job for her father.
The girl in the chat said, "What is this sir? Im at the age of your daughter." But the MLA asked her to come to her place the day after. Pradhan refuted the allegation and dubbed it a false. He said the chat was created by some miscreants to defame him.