Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Odisha Minister Jayanarayan Mishra was on Thursday arrested in connection with a firing incident in which a Biju Janata Dal worker had died in Bargarh district.
The police also arrested another accused Sibu Diwan. A total of eight persons have been arrested in the firing incident so far.
A police team led by Padampur sub-divisional police officer Laxmi Narayan Panda raided Mishra's house in Sambalpur and took him into custody for questioning.
Mishra was later arrested for his alleged link with the perpetrators of the violence.
"We have arrested Mishra for his alleged link with the firing incident in which one person was killed. We will produce him in court today (Thursday)," said a Padampur sub-divisional police officer.
Some miscreants had attacked Minister Sushanta Singh's brother Subrat Singh, his driver Dileswar Sahu and two other associates at Banabira village under Sohela block of Bargarh district on February 22.
The incident occurred two days before the Bijepur by-election held on February 24.
Dileswar Sahu, who sustained a critical head injury in the attack, died at the SCB Hospital in Cuttack.
Reacting to the arrest, Labour Minister Sushanta Singh said Mishra is the prime accused in the Banbira attack.
"There is no question of politics in the arrest. Mishra is involved in the violence which led to death of a person," said Singh.
--IANS
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