KalingaTV News Network
According to an FIR lodged at Gurudijhatia police station by Babaji Pradhan, the victim, BJD leader and former Athagarh block chairman Ranjan Acharya had called him along with the family to join the BJD rally to protest against the Centre’s decision to phase out cooking gas subsidy on August 18. However due to some personal work, Babaji failed to take part in the rally which was held in Bhubaneswar. Finding Babaji’s family absent during the rally, Ranjan allegedly barged into his house the same evening and thrashed him brutally. Some of his aides did not spare even the female members of the family during the attack and forced them out of the house.
“Ranjan Acharya and his aides entered my house and thrashed family members brutally for not attending the rally. They forced us out of the house following which we took shelter at the Anganwadi Centre in Sasang village,” said Babaji. He sought the district administration’s help to return to his home in the village.
When asked whether the Gurudijhatia IIC took any step on his FIR, Babaji’s son Prakash Pradhan claimed that police did not believe their complaint.