Sajanagad: A group of irate workers of a particular party Monday waylaid a police van and forcefully released some youths, who had allegedly assaulted a reporter of a web channel at Santragadia village under Oupada block of Balasore district Sunday, from police custody.
The accused workers reportedly owing allegiance to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) had thrashed the reporter of a web channel during campaigning Sunday. On receipt of a complaint, police arrested two youths and were bringing them to the police station when the mob intercepted the police van and freed the accused from police custody. The mob also detained the police for some hours before additional forces rushed to the spot and intervened.
Meanwhile, the owner of the web channel and some staffers staged a sit-in outside the police station demanding arrest of the accused. They relented after Nilagiri IIC Droupadi Das assured them of arresting the accused within 24 hours.
Sources said the ruling party workers were campaigning at Kanpur area for the candidate from zilla parishad (ZP) zone-2 under Nilagiri Assembly segment when the incident of violence was reported.
A campaign rally of the ruling party was reportedly in progress at Kanpur Sunday evening which was in violation of model code of conduct. The reporter was clicking photographs of the rally when Bhaskar Behera, the sarpanch candidate, Soumya Ranjan Jena, the son of ZP candidate in zone no-2, Ajay Mahalik, Suji Jena and Santosh Kumar Brahma hurled abuses at the journo and assaulted him. They also allegedly threatened him of dire consequences. Later, the reporter lodged a complaint at Nilagiri police station.
Police rushed to the spot and arrested two youths in this connection.
The ruling party workers, however, claimed that the opposition has falsely implicated their workers due to fear of losing the seat. They alleged the police are working at the behest of the opposition.
The reaction of the police on the forceful release of the accused from custody is could not be obtained.
