Cuttack: The Orissa High Court Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to BJP MLA candidate from Satyabadi Assembly constituency Om Prakash Mishra in connection with a case where he had allegedly vandalized an EVM machine and disrupted polling process, his lawyer and Odisha BJP vice president Pitambar Acharya said.
The cops had issued a lookout circular against him after he went missing after allegations surfaced against him.
It may be mentioned here that the cops had been raiding several places to trace him. Two of his aides identified as Akhaya Biswal and Manas Samantaray had already been arrested in connection with the incident.
The action was taken based on the complaint of Sibaram Mahapatra, the presiding officer of booth number 78 at Balabhadra Nodal school in Birakesharipur village. He 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 had fled from the scene brandishing a handgun after voters tried to resist him; however, the people caught hold of two of his accomplices and handed them over to cops, the presiding officer had said.