Bhubaneswar: A delegation from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) met with Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) YB Khurania today, demanding immediate action against those involved in the recent attack on former MLA Pranab Balabantaray.

Led by former minister Pratap Jena, the BJD team expressed concern that despite over a week having passed since the incident, the key perpetrators remain at large. They also alleged the three individuals who surrendered under pressure from the Jajpur SP and other senior officers had no actual connection to the April 13 attack in Arua village, Dharamsala.

The delegation highlighted Balabantaray had informed the police in advance about his visit to the area for election campaigning. Despite multiple complaints and appeals to senior authorities, they claimed no effective preventive or responsive action was taken.

In an official statement, the party alleged, “It is widely being discussed that such violent incidents are being perpetrated by the mining mafia with the support of the local MLA. Although lethal weapons such as swords and axes were recovered from the attackers by the local IIC, no arrests have been made, raising serious questions about the impartiality of the police.”

The statement further mentioned Balabantaray attempted to contact the Jajpur SP from the scene of the attack, but his calls went unanswered.

The BJD delegation included former ministers Sanjay Das Burma and Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak; MLAs Arun Sahoo, Byomkesh Ray, Dibya Shankar Mishra, Sushant Rout, Bishwaranjan Mallik, and Ananta Narayan Jena; along with former MLA Pranab Balabantaray, and media coordinators Lenin Mohanty and Priyabrata Majhi.