Five accused in attack on minister's relatives surrender

Five persons, including an expelled BJD leader, who were accused of involvement in the attack on two relatives of a Congress MLA in post-poll violence at Jeypore in Koraput district, today surrendered in a court here.
Cases have been registered against seven persons including the then district president of ruling BJD Dharmendra Adhikari for the attack on relatives of Congress legislator Tara Prasad Bahinipati on April 10.
Five of them surrendered in the court of Sub-divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM), while Adhikari and his another associate were still at large, police said.
Consequent upon the incident, BJD had expelled Adhikari from the party.

The brother and a nephew of Bahinipati, who won Jeypore assembly seat in Koraput district defeating former Minister Rabi Narayan Nanda, were stabbed by a group of people when they were staying in a hotel at Jeypore on the night of the first-phase of elections in Odisha on April 10, police said.
Bahinipati's son, who was also there, had managed to escape unhurt.
Demanding arrest of Adhikari and others for the incident, Congress had observed Koraput district bandh on April 12.
While Bahinipati had alleged that Nanda was behind the attack, the latter denied the charge.