Puri: Odisha Police have issued a look out notice against BJP candidate from Satyabadi Assembly constituency Om Prakash Mishra for allegedly ransacking a polling booth and vandalising EVM machine along with threatening the polling staff during third phase of polling Tuesday.
According to sources, the notice was issued Wednesday.
Two of his aides identified as Akhaya Biswal and Manas Samantaray have already been arrested in connection with the incident.
They have been booked under sections 147, 148, 452, 427, 341, 323, 333, 307, 186 and 149 of IPC and various sections of Arms Act and Representative of People Act, said Puri district Superintendent of Police Umashankar Dash.
Sibaram Mahapatra, the presiding officer of the Balabhadra Nodal school booth no. 78 in Birakesharipur village, had filed a complaint with the Gadishagoda police station alleging that at about 6:00pm on April 23, Om along with his supporters barged into the booth and damaged the EVM machine while the voting was in progress.
He fled from the scene brandishing a handgun after voters tried to resist him, the presiding officer added. However, the people caught hold of two of his accomplices and handed them over to cops.
Meanwhile, Odisha BJP leaders including Krushna Chandra Jagdev and state unit vice president Samir Mohanty came out in support of Mishra and accused BJD of booth capturing Thursday. They have also demanded a repoll in the said booth.
