Police arrests expelled BJD leader on casting couch charge

A day after Odisha Chief Minister and ruling BJD president Naveen Patnaik expelled Tatwa Prakash Satpathy alias Papu Pom Pom from the party, the police today arrested the comedian, an accused in a casting couch case involving a minor girl.
Satpathy was arrested from Puri this morning, Commissioner of police Y B Khurania told reporters here.
He said a special squad was formed to nab the comedian who was on the run ever since a case was registered by the Mahila Police Station here.
The comedian's associate Pradeep Swain was also arrested, Khurania said adding they would be produced in the court.

Earlier, the Police had registered a case against Papu and his associate Pradeep Swain under sections of 354 (A), 506, 509 and 34 IPC along with 8/12 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
Friends Foundation, a city based NGO, had filed a complaint at Mahila Police Station against Papu accusing him of sexually abusing a minor girl after promising to give her a break in films.
The Khurda Child Welfare Committee (CWC) had asked the commissionerate police to register a case against Papu after it found prima facie evidence of the veracity of the charge against him during a preliminary probe conducted by it.