Cuttack: Cuttack sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM) Thursday granted conditional bail to 17 Congress activists who were arrested by police on charges of vandalising Purighat police station and staging a road blockade without a valid permission to protest the arrest of party men September 11.
However, the magistrate directed the accused Congress activists, including party’s city unit president Muhammad Moquim and three corporators, to depose before the SDJM court after five days.
Purighat police had detained a Congress activist in connection with a case September 11. Moquim and a few of his party colleagues had visited the police station to enquire about the detention. However, it was alleged that the inspector in-charge had misbehaved with Moquim and a woman corporator of the party.
Protesting the incident, hundreds of Congress workers vandalised Purighat police station and staged a road blockade in the locality. The situation was brought under control after two senior officers of Commissionerate Police held discussions with the agitators.
However, police had registered two cases in connection with the vandalism after examining the CCTV footages. They arrested Moquim and 16 other Congress activists Thursday and produced them at the official residence of Cuttack SDJM, sources said.
Meanwhile, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik and party’s working president Chiranjibi Biswal met Moquim and other accused. Patnaik termed the police action as illegal and politically motivated.
Criticising the police action, Moquim said, “Some police officials had attacked a lawyer in the city a few days ago. Lawyers have been organising cease work agitation for several days. Now, they have stirred up a hornets’ nest by arresting Congress activists.”
However, Biju Janata Dal criticised Congress for vandalising Purighat police station. “Police took action against the people who had vandalised the police station,” said BJD leader Subhas Singh.