‘One more case to be filed against Odisha legislator for using fake vehicle registration number’

Bhubaneswar: Within hours of Chilika MLA Prasanta Jagadev’s arrest, the Khordha Police today said the legislator was driving a SUV bearing fake registration number that rammed into crowd causing critical injuries to 22 persons.

Khordha SP Alekh Pahi informed that the police had seized the Land Rover Discovery vehicle bearing registration number OD02 AY 5775 that Jagadev plowed into a gathering outside the Banapur block office on March 12. During the seizure the police also collected the chassis number of the vehicle.

The SP added the Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI) conducted an inquiry and found out that the registration number of the Discovery vehicle was fake. As the legislator had changed the registration number of his vehicle, another case will be registered against him and the court will be informed about the same, Pahi said.

The data provided by the mParivahan app shows the OD02AY 5775 is the registration number of a Hyundai Creta 1.6 CRDI SX (O), and the vehicle owner is Shibani Food Products Pvt Ltd.

The Banapur Police, earlier in the day, arrested the Chilika MLA following his release from a private hospital in Bhubaneswar for allegedly plowing his SUV into crowd.

The legislator was then produced before the District and Sessions Judge Court in Bhubaneswar. After getting a transit remand of Jagadev, the police took the legislator in an ambulance to produce him in the Banapur JMFC court.

On March 12, Jagadev rammed his Discovery SUV into crowd outside the Banapur block office causing critical injuries to 22 persons including police personnel. The crowd was present in front of the block office due to election to the Panchayat Samiti Chairperson.

Even though the police officials present there reportedly asked the legislator not to take his vehicle to the spot, he did not pay any heed and plowed his vehicle into the crowd. Following the incident, the irate mob beat up Jagadev and injured him. He was undergoing treatment at the hospital since then in police custody.

Earlier, Jagadev was suspended from ruling BJD for allegedly thrashing a BJP leader.