Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) Association has given a three-day ultimatum to the state government, demanding the arrest of BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan, who has been alleged as the prime accused in the case of attack on Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo.

Addressing the media after a meeting of the association, its President Jyoti Ranjan Mishra said the association will continue its agitation until concrete action is taken. While OAS officers will continue to discharge their duties in flood-affected areas and during the ongoing Rath Yatra, the association expects swift action from the government, he said.

“We trust our Chief Minister and thank him for the immediate arrest of the accused. But we demand exemplary action against the main accused. The investigation should not drag on for months. It must be completed within three days,” Mishra said.

The OAS Association has raised three specific demands-- immediate arrest of Jagannath Pradhan, safety and security for all officers, and public condemnation of the incident by the state government.

While reiterating their faith in the Chief Minister, the association stressed that failure to act within the set timeframe would compel them to intensify their agitation.

The assault on Ratnakar Sahoo reportedly occurred inside the BMC office during a grievance redressal meeting, when a group of miscreants allegedly attacked the official.

Condemning the attack, the OAS Association had passed a unanimous resolution seeking exemplary punishment for the culprits and demanded enhanced security measures for government officers at their workplaces.

Commissionerate Police have registered a case and so far arrested five individuals in connection with the incident.