Former Odisha MLA Yudhisthir Samantaray arrested

Ayaskant Das Published On : May 14, 2016 at 9:51 PM Updated On : May 14, 2016 at 9:56 PM

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 14:

After former Sanakhemundi legislator Ramesh Jena, former Odisha MLA Yudhisthir Samantaray has been arrested by police for his alleged involvement in criminal activities.

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According to reports, former Pipili MLA Yudhisthir Samantaray was picked up by Puri police with the help of Commissionerate police this evening from Chandrasekharpur area in the capital city.

Samantaray, the former Congress MLA and political bête noire of ruling Biju Janata Dal’s sitting MLA from Pipili Pradeep Maharathi, has been arrested in connection with a murder case registered in Pipili police station, sources said.

“A murder case (5/16) was registered against Yudhisthir Samantaray in January this year. He was the main accused in the case. He has been arrested in this connection,” Puri SP Sarthak Sarangi informed.

Several cases are pending against Samantaray in Pipili and other police stations, sources added.

Notably, Sushant Mishra, a Panchayat Samiti member, was fatally attacked in January this year near a private engineering college near Pipili while he was on his way with his mother to a hospital for treatment. Goons waylaid them and took Sushant to a nearby forest and killed him. Presuming him dead, the attackers abandoned him in the forested area.

Police rescued the badly injured Sushant and rushed him to the Capital Hospital. Later, he was shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital where he succumbed.

Sushant’s mother—Ritanjali Mishra—had filed an FIR against Yudhisthir Samantray on January 4 alleging his involvement.

According to sources, Sushant had won the election with the support of Yudhisthir. However, he switched sides to BJD following which enmity developed between them.

Yudhisthir popularly known as Kedar Samantaray is an arch rival of Maharathi and the former’s supporters say that the leader has sacrificed his left eye to the bitter enmity between the duo.

In 1986, the former MLA was allegedly attacked by Maharathi’s men. Though he escaped the bid on his life, he lost his left eye in the attack.