OJM leader Sangram Mohanty released from Odisha jail

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Brahmapur, Feb 10:

Odisha Jan Morcha (OJM) leader Sangram Mohanty, arrested by the Odisha police for his alleged involvement in Maoist activities, was released from Brahmapur Circle Jail on Sunday following the directive of the Supreme Court.

Mohanty was received by the OJM supremo and former BJD leader Pyari Mohan Mohapatra.

Talking to newsmen, Mohapatra said several cases against Mohanty registered by the police were false. “The cases had been registered on orders from Naveen Niwas,” he said.

Stating that the state government has=d resorted to corruption and autocratic rule in the absence of people’s protest, Mohapatra said his party would unite people against the misrule of the government.

“Only a regional party can defeat the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) as neither the Congress and nor the BJP is not able to stage a proper platform against the ruling party in the state,” he pointed out.

It may be mentioned that the Supreme Court, on February 6, had directed it to immediately release Sangram Mohanty, son of Jana Adhikar Manch (JAM) convener Dandapani Mohanty, and asked the state chief secretary to file an affidavit within four weeks as to why the cases filed against Sangram Mohanty should be not transferred to the CBI.

The state government had filed an affidavit before Supreme Court in September last year stating that it had registered 15 cases against Sangram, who was arrested on December 5, 2012.

However, the apex court later granted him bail in eight cases on September 19 last year after hearing the arguments from both the sides. The Odisha High Court later granted bail to Mohanty in the seven other cases.

By virtue of the bail, Sangram was to be released from Brahmapur Jail on January 27 this year. However, he was re-arrested by the Badagada Police and taken to an undisclosed destination.
Police later claimed that Sangram was re-arrested as he is an accused in two more cases of 2011.

Challenging the action of the Odisha Police, Sangram’s lawyer Suresh Tripathy later moved the apex court stating that the re-arrest of Sangram was an act of terrorism and anarchy by the state government. He prayed to the court that the cases registered against Sangram be transferred to CBI as no fair investigation was possible since the police is a party to all the cases.