Angul: Miscreants barged into the block office here and assaulted BDO Jayant Kumar Prusty during office hours Monday.
The miscreants hurled expletives at him and warned him of dire consequences. Shocked over the development, Prusty lodged a complaint at Angul police station demanding action against six persons.
In his complaint, Prusty alleged that the incident occurred when he was entering his chamber in the block office at 10.55 am. A group of over 50 people led by Basant Kumar Pradhan of Baluakata and comprising Debasis Dhar and Khirod Sahu of Sarulia, Durlabh Biswal of Jamugadia, Subhendu Dehuri of Maranda and Lucky Nanda of Khilari waylaid him.
The lathi-wielding people asked Prusty as to why he has not yet sent a report on Gopabandhu Gramin Yojana project to senior authorities and hurled expletives at him.
Two of them suddenly thrashed and kicked the BDO before he could reply. They even pushed him while another hit him with a lathi.
Peons Amiya Behera and Santosh Mohapatra and driver Ranjan Pradhan rushed to the spot and rescued the BDO from the captivity of the irate mob. The miscreants later escaped. The group leader Pradhan even yelled at him telling he will lodge a false complaint against him by engaging women.
Prusty said the district planning committee is verifying the proposals under the GGY project after completion of its survey. He termed the incident a handiwork of some persons who were eager to get contracts under the project.
Prusty however, failed to produce any evidence before the police as the CCTV cameras installed in the office were found defunct. It is suspected that some might have snapped the wires of the CCTVs before launching an organised attack on Prusty. The incident drew severe flak from OAS Association. In an emergency meeting held at the office of ADM Srinivas Behera, the association demanded immediate action against the accused.
They warned of an agitation if the accused were not arrested within three days. The association members led by Behera met SP Kabita Jalan over the issue.
Meanwhile, Baluakata Samiti member Tiki Pradhan and Badakantakula Samiti member Murali Bhoi filed two complaints against Prusty in Angul police station.
Tiki in her FIR alleged that Prusty hurled expletives at her and even kicked and pushed her when she visited his office along with her husband to discuss about developmental works in her panchayat.
When her husband Basant Pradhan resisted, the BDO even kicked him, the FIR alleged. Bhoi in his FIR alleged that Prusty thrashed him and hurled casteist remarks at him when he questioned him on the delay in construction of a CC road at Sarualukendu Sahi under GGY project. PNN
