Berhampur: Former Congress MLA Ramesh Jena, his father Arakhita Jena, and three others, who were earlier arrested by the police, were produced in the court of the sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM) and sent to jail Monday.
The other accused were Jagat Behera, Rama Chandra Panda alias Bapi and Rama Krushna Padhi alias Jackie. The magistrate while rejecting the bail pleas of the accused slated the hearing on Arakhita’s bail petition to March 11.
The ex-legislator was arrested on the charge of having links with arrested gangster siblings Sushil and Sushant Dhalasamanta, abetment of crime and in involvement in extortion. Bapi and Jackie were arrested for their involvement in various crimes including bomb hurling and shootouts.
Apprehending law and order situation, police threw a security ring around the court as a large number of supporters, mediapersons and lawyers assembled outside the court during the production of Jena and other accused.
While Arakhita, Bapi, Jackie and Jagat were produced in the court in first phase Jena was produced in the second phase.
Meanwhile, police detained over five persons at an undisclosed location and are questioning them about their possible links with Jena.
At a press meet held in the afternoon, police said despite being directed by the court to stay out of Berhampur city limits, Jena with the help of his henchmen was grabbing lands of people and was extorting builders and traders.
Police said the Congress leader was booked under Sections 304 and 212 of the IPC and 25 of the Arms Act.
A special police team from Berhampur raided an apartment at Bhubaneswar Sunday, where the former MLA was residing and brought him here along with Bapi and Jackie.
Police also raided Jena’s residence here last night and recovered two revolvers, five live bullets, Rs 10 lakh in cash, over 100 land documents and five passports.
Police had a tough time Sunday controlling Jena’s supporters, who tried to gherao the police station and barged inside in protest. Police resorted to mild lathicharge to disperse the crowd.
Senior Congress leader Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra and party chief whip in Assembly Tara Prasad Bahinipati condemned Jena’s arrest.
Bahinipati, who met the Police IG (Southern Range) Amitabh Thakur, told newspersons that the party workers will gherao the IG office in protest against Jena’s arrest.
Congress has described the police action as a political conspiracy. PNN
