Siva Shankar Dash Held for Assaulting Pradeep Panigrahi

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police on Tuesday arrested an independent candidate from the Berhampur assembly seat Siva Shankar Dash for assaulting Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) candidate for Berhampur Lok Sabha constituency Pradeep Kumar Panigrahi during a brawl.

Sources said that Panigrahy was having discussions with polling officers and police officials near a booth at Gosani Nuagaon over the proper sealing of EVM boxes. Dash along with his supporters reached the spot and started engaging in an argument with Panigrahi and others alleging booth rigging.

Soon the argument between the two leaders escalated and a scuffle ensued at the spot. Panigrahi sustained serious injuries during the brawl and was immediately rushed to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur for treatment.

On Tuesday, the senior BJP leader was shifted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar for advanced treatment. Panigrahi’s wife informed the media persons that Panigrahy sustained fractures in his chest and some injuries on his neck.

Meanwhile, Dash was detained at the Gosani Nuagaon Police Station after the incident. Based on the complaint of Panigrahi, Police Tuesday arrested Dash registering a case (130/24) under sections 324 (hurting someone intentionally using dangerous weapons) and 307(attempt to murder) of the IPC.

He was later presented before the local court that remanded him to judicial custody. Notably, Dash was the former mayor of Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC). He had reportedly contested from Berhampur assembly seat as an independent candidate in the 2019 elections from jail. Around 30 criminal cases are pending against Dash at different police stations in Ganjam district.