BJP leader Mahapatra grilled by cops in councillor murder case

BERHAMPUR: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Ganjam district ‘pravari’ Golak Mahapatra on Wednesday appeared before Chhatrapur police in connection with the murder of BJD leader and Chhatrapur NAC Councillor Laxmidutta Pradhan and was interrogated by the investigating officer for about three hours in two phases.

Earlier, accompined by over 40 BJP leaders, Mahapatra reached BJP office in the town from where he went to Chhatrapur police station along with hundreds of party supporters. First Mohapatra was quizzed for around one hour and after lunch, for over two hours. Though police declined to divulge details of the interrogation made in presence of Mohapatra’s advocate Partha Sarathi Nayak, the BJP leader was reportedly asked 41 questions by the SDPO and ASP. During the questioning, two platoons of armed force with two ASPs, two SDPOs and 10 Inspectors were deployed in the area.

Laxmidutta was murdered in broad daylight last month. Police had arrested 17 persons in this connection. BJP district secretary Krushna Chandra Nayak and Laxmipur panchayat samiti member N Duryadhan Reddy, alleged to be prime consiperators of the murder, were arrested from Dehradun and were produced before Chhatrapur SDJM court. The police had appealed to the court to take them on six days’ remand.
After their arrest, Nayak and Reddy reportedly told the police that they were assisted by Mahapatra during their hiding. On Tuesday, the SDJM allowed the police to take the duo on remand and investigative officer of the case Chhatrapur SDPO Ramesh Chandra Sethi issued a notice to Mohapatra to appear at Chhatrapur police station on Wednesday.