Bhubaneswar: Kharvel Nagar police arrested two youths for allegedly attacking a journalist and an Assistant Section Officer (ASO) near Rabindra Mandap in the City, officials said Saturday.
The arrested accused were identified as Sipun Padhy, 24, and Ajay Jena, 24.
According to police, the incident occurred late at night September 11 near the OMC office.
A car travelling from the 120 Battalion side allegedly overtook a scooter after honking.
Angered by the incident, two men and a woman riding the scooter allegedly stopped the car near the gate of Rabindra Mandap.
The trio allegedly dragged the driver, Tapas Kumar Naik, an ASO, out of the car, threw him to the ground and assaulted him.
Meanwhile, journalist Smruti Ranjan Biswal, who was passing through the area, witnessed the incident and tried to intervene.
The accused allegedly turned on him and attacked him. Biswal reportedly ran inside Rabindra Mandap to escape, but the accused allegedly chased him, attacked him on the head with a stone and attempted to strangle him.
They also allegedly damaged his mobile phone.
The accused fled after a police vehicle reached the spot.
Kharvelnagar police examined CCTV footage and conducted a raid in Shastri Nagar, leading to the arrest of the two main accused.
Further investigation is underway.
