Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik condemned the attack on Health and Family Welfare minister Naba Kishore Das by an assistant sub-inspector of police in Jharsuguda district Sunday.
“I am shocked at the unfortunate incident of attack on honourable minister Naba Das. I strongly condemn the attack on him. I pray for his early recovery,” the Chief Minister said.
“Senior officers of Crime Branch have been asked to go to the spot,” he informed.
The incident took place in Brajrajnagar town around 1 pm when the minister, who was on his way to attend a programme in the district, had alighted from the car to greet people.
The accused ASI was nabbed by locals, who then handed him over to the police, as per a police source.
In video footage that is in possession of PTI, Naba Kishore Das is seen bleeding from the chest with people trying to lift the injured minister, who seemed unconscious and place him on the front seat of a car.
Initially, the Minister was taken to the Jharsuguda district headquarters hospital, Brajrajnagar SDPO Gupteswar Bhoi said.
Arrangements were then made to airlift him to a Bhubaneswar hospital for “better treatment”, the SDPO stated.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Prateek Singh said a green corridor has been set up in the state capital for ferrying the minister to the Bhubaneswar hospital.
“Police personnel have been deployed along the corridor to ensure his safe passage,” Singh said.
Tension prevailed in Brajrajnagar in the wake of the incident, with supporters of the BJD minister questioning “security lapses”.
Some of them claimed that a conspiracy was hatched to target him.
Bhoi said that the ASI was currently being interrogated, and more details will be available after a thorough probe.
The minister, a strongman in the mining hub of Jharsuguda, had switched over to the BJD from the Congress ahead of 2019 elections. He is known to have business interests in coal mining, transportation and hospitality sectors.
PTI
