OAS body demands arrest of BDO’s attackers, threatens poll duty boycott

Sambad English Bureau Published On : Apr 20, 2014 at 11:56 AM Updated On : Apr 20, 2014 at 1:41 PM

Odisha Sun Times Bureau

Bhubaneswar, Apr 20:

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The Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) Association has threatened to boycott poll duty including the counting of votes on May 16 if its demand for the arrest of persons responsible for the attack on the Marshaghai Block Development Officer (BDO) Sushant Kumar Pati in Kendrapara on Friday, is not met by Monday.

Injured Marsaghai BDO SK Pati ( EMS pic)

A delegation of the officers’ body led by its secretary Jyoti Ranjan Mishra on Saturday met Chief Electoral Officer, Dr Mona Sharma and submitted a memorandum to her.

Talking to newsmen Mishra said “We have served an ultimatum of 48 hours for the arrest of the attackers of Marsaghai BDO S K Pati. We may boycott poll duties if no action is taken within this time”.

Marsaghai BDO Pati was on Friday physically assaulted by a mob at Kendrapara town after a vehicle loaded with EVMs was found parked in front of his official residence.

Suspecting that the EVMs were being taken to the officer’s residence for tampering, the mob assaulted him and others, besides ransacking his official residence.

The OAS officers association said that the EVMs seized from near Pati’s house were unused and reserved for replacement, if required, during the polling and that the officer was not at fault as he did not take any used EVMs.

Meanwhile, Pati’s wife Dibyashri has lodged a complaint (no.46/14) at Kendrapara Town police station on Saturday against 200 persons alleging that the mob made murderous assault on her husband and outraged her modesty while looting household goods and ransacking the house on Friday without any provocation.

The tension escalated in the district headquarters town of Kendrapara over the incident forcing the local administration to clamp prohibitory order under section 144 of CrPC across the district which will be in force till Monday.

Police sources said no one has so far been arrested in connection with the attack on the BDO.

A senior Revenue department official said the Kendrapara collector has already recommended action against the BDO concerned as he took the EVMs to near his house instead of storing them in the strong room.