A police case was lodged against BJP candidate for Hinjili assembly seat Pitambar Acharya, who is pitted against Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, for allegedly misbehaving with election flying squad officials and obstructing their work.
Acharya, a senior advocate in Orissa High Court, had allegedly misbehaved with flying squad officials when they tried to check his vehicle near Pitala College square in Aska area on Friday, said Inspector In-Charge of Aska police station Pitabas Dharua.
"We have registered a case against Acharya on the basis of an FIR lodged by Biswanath Behera, who was on duty in the flying squad," he said.
Acharya was booked under different provisions of IPC including section 353 (criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public function), 294 (obscene act) and 506 (criminal intimidation), the IIC said.
Acharya is contesting the Assembly election as a BJP nominee from Hinjili, where the Chief minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik is seeking re-election for fifth time in a row.
Acharya said though he identified himself as a candidate from Hinjili, the flying squad searched the vehicle he was travelling in for quite some time and tried to harass him.
"Very limited time is left for electioneering and detaining a candidate for a long time in the name of search is nothing but harassment," he said.
Alleging that the police had deliberately registered a case against him on the directive of the BJD top brass, Acharya said the case against him clearly showed that the ruling BJD is trying to harass him.
The BJP nominee sought to know whether vehicles of the chief minister or ruling BJD leaders are also searched in the same manner in which his car was frisked.
"The ruling BJD is scared after Acharya filed his nomination from Hinjili. Out of fear BJD is trying to restrict his movement in Hinjili," said BJPs district unit president K C Pati.
Dismissing the charge, BJDs district president Pradeep Panigrahy said police is doing its duty.
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