Jharsuguda: Chhattisgarh Police released Vishal Das, son of the late Odisha Minister Naba Das, and 13 others including Samiti members and Sarpanch of Kirmira Block in Jharsuguda district.
Chhattisgarh’s Saraipali police released them after registering a case and issuing a notice to them under sections 331(4) and 191(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Earlier late on Thursday night, they were detained at the police station. It is alleged that the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) members were initially detained by the cops and later Vishal Das also was detained when he reached the police station after getting information about the detention of the PRIs members. But no official statement regarding their detention was issued by the police.
Notably, a no-confidence motion was scheduled against Krishnapriya Sahu, the Chairman of Kirmira Panchayat Samiti, following a recent rift between the BJP and BJD Samiti members. The voting was slated to take place today and all the arrangements were made accordingly. However, they could not take part in the no-confidence motion today.
Meanwhile, the incident has raised questions about the timing and motives behind the police action against Vishal and the PRIs) members.
In a video message, Vishal had asked the Odisha government and the IG (North) not to do such undemocratic things. His sister and former Jharsuguda MLA Deepali Das, said that the detained people called her saying that the Jharsuguda Police and BJP’s Odisha government will be responsible if voting for the no-confidence motion does not take place today. She also alleged the saffron party of doing dirty politics.
The Jharsuguda district unit of BJD also had gheraoed the office of the Collector protesting the alleged illegal detention of Vishal Das and others in Chhattisgarh police station.
