Bhubaneswar: The OAS Officers’ Association in Odisha today withdrew its cease-work agitation soon after the arrest of BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan in connection with the assault on Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) official Ratnakar Sahoo a few days ago.

The OAS officers had launched the cease-work agitation to protest against the assault on Sahoo, the BMC Additional Commissioner. They had also sought the arrest of Pradhan, who is accused of orchestrating the attack.

“The OAS Officers’ Association has decided to call off its cease-work agitation following the arrest of Jagannath Pradhan in connection with the assault on BMC Additional Commissioner. We have asked all our members to resume work immediately,” said Jyoti Ranjan Mishra, the president of OAS Officers’ Association.

It is worth mentioning here that some miscreants had assaulted the BMC Additional Commissioner inside the office of the civic body during a grievance redressal meeting on June 30.

The police had registered a case in this regard and arrested five persons, including a corporator of the capital city on charges of assaulting the BMC official.

However, the OAS Officers’ Association had served a three-day ultimatum to the state government to arrest BJP leader Pradhan.

The police arrested Pradhan soon after he surrendered at the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) at around 10 pm today.

Pradhan has been booked under Sections 333, 132, 121(1), 121(2), 351(2), 62, 304, 54, 61(2), 189(2),190 and 3(5) of the BNS.