Baripada: Commissionerate police from Bhubaneswar along with Baripada police raided the house of Krushnachandra Mohapatra, president of BJP’s Mayurbhanj unit, at Forest Colony in Baripada late Friday night in connection with a land fraud case. However, police could not find Mohapatra and retuned empty-handed.
According to reports, the Commissionerate police conducted the raid following a complaint lodged at Infocity policy station, in which Mohapatra was accused of indulging in a land fraud.
A four member police team had come to Baripada Thursday and kept a watch on Mohpatra’s movement Friday. The police planned to arrest the BJP leader at midnight and conducted raid on his house.
As police tried to enter the house, Mohapatra’s family members did not allow them entry. They argued that there were womenfolk in the house and since there were no lady police with the police team they would not allow them entry to the house.
As a result, the police had to return empty handed.
Meanwhile, according to reliable sources a police official had alerted Mohapatra about the police raid on his house.
Mohapatra is believed to have escaped in a car as soon as police reached his house. Police had not stop the car even though it has passed before them at midnight.
It was learnt that Baripada police had advised the Commissionerate police to arrest Mohapatra at midnight.
On the other hand, BJP has tried to give a political colour to the raid on it’s leader. BJP leader Chhotelal Mohant said that BJD has been trying to demolarilse the BJP cadres after the ruling party was routed in three-tier panchayat elections. The saffron party has condemned the police bid to arrest Mohapata at midnight.
On the other hand, district BJD president Debasish Marandi said that Mohapatra has criminal records. He also stated the people of the district have understood the shady dealings of the BJP leader.
Congress too has criticised the BJP on this count. PNN