Bhubaneswar: Khandapada MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, who is contesting the Assembly polls from Ghasipura seat in Keonjhar district as an independent nominee, today alleged blatant misuse of government machinery and police administration against his supporters ahead of the polling, scheduled to be held on May 25.

Addressing a presser at his resident at Anandapur, Patnaik alleged that at least eight of his supporters were arrested by police last night.

According to the Khandapada legislator, some people had killed Sunanda Sethi, the son of Panchanan Sethi, at Khalana panchayat under Ramchandrapur police limits in 2022. The police had arrested at least eight persons in connection with the incident.

However, the family members of a few accused had lodged a counter complaint against the kin of deceased Sunanda in 2023.

Sunanda’s family had approached the Orissa High Court for protection against any action by the police. While hearing the case, the HC had sought the case diary and injury report before finalizing a new date for further hearing into the case. The court had also restricted the police to take any action against Sunanda’s family till the next hearing in the case.

Despite the HC order, the police arrested two members of Sunanda’s family in the wee hours of today.

“The police took action against Sunanda’s family as they have extended their support to me in the Assembly polls. The police have arrested at least eight of my supporters for one reason or other ahead of the third phase polls in the state,” alleged Patnaik.

Patnaik further alleged that police are taking repressive action against his supporters at the behest of sitting MLA and BJD nominee Badri Narayan Patra and his son Debashis Patra ahead of the polls.

“It seems that I am fighting the polls not against any political party but against the system and its machinery. I urge the BJD nominee to come forward for a debate on various issues pertaining to Ghasipura instead of orchestrating police action and other repressive measures against my supporters,” Patnaik said.