BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today suspended former MLA Navin Nanda from the party following his arrest in connection with a "condemnable" incident in Kolkata, party sources said.
Patnaik suspended Nanda after news broke out that he was arrested by the police in Kolkata, BJD state-secretary Bijay Nayak said in a statement.
Nanda was reportedly arrested on Saturday from a spa allegedly run as a brothel. Kolkata Police said today a sex racket disguised as a beauty parlour in the city's Park Street area was busted on Saturday and 18 people were arrested.
The arrested people included nine sex workers, three customers and the manager of the brothel, a police officer said.
"All the arrested have been booked under specific charges and a probe is being conducted at Beniapukur police station," the officer said.
The former MLA of Dhenkanal has admitted to have been arrested by the police but said it was a "conspiracy against me."