Odisha court grants bail to ex-mayor

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Brahmapur, Mar 4:

The Additional District Judge (ADJ) Court-II here today granted bail to former mayor of south Odisha city Brahmapur and BJP leader Shiv Shankar Das.

Das was arrested on Thursday evening in connection with his involvement in an attempt to murder Chetan Kumar Choudhury, a practicing lawyer and son of BJD leader Alekh Choudhury by running him over by a car near Gosaninuagaon while he was walking to his home on June 22 last year.

Police had earlier arrested three persons including the driver of the vehicle, its owner and a person who had identified Choudhury from a distance.

The trio had confessed before the police that on directions from Das, they had attempted to run over Choudhury after hitting him from behind.

Das who was in the BJD had later defected to BJP after being denied ticket to contest municipal polls.

He had earlier obtained an anticipatory bail from the High Court in the matter to avert arrest which had expired in the meantime and the High Court had asked him to report at the local court which he had ignored.

At the time of the incident, Alekh Choudhury was with the Congress who has later joined the BJD.