Khurda: Chilika legislator Prashant Jagdev, who is the BJP MLA candidate from Khurda, has been arrested for allegedly damaging an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) during the third-round polling in Odisha on Saturday.
According to sources, the incident took place when the legislator and his wife had gone to cast their votes at booth number 114 in Bolagarh. He was detained by police from Begunia for questioning on the basis of a complaint filed by the presiding officer and then taken to the reserve police camp, where he was later arrested.
He has been sent to judicial custody. “The legislator was arrested based on the FIR lodged by the presiding officer, who alleged that he created ruckus in the polling booth, damaged the EVM, obstructed the poll process and used abusive language. The CCTV footage will be examined after the election process. Action will be taken if anyone else is found involved,” said Khurda SP Awinash Kumar.
Earlier the MLA had demanded inspection of CCTV camera footage of Kaunripatna booth.
The legislator, who has history of violent behaviour, has been booked under Sections 131, 132, 135, 136 of Representation Of People Act, and 294 (use of abusive, humiliating or defamative words), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 354 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), the SP added.
The BJD had also moved the Chief Electoral Officer of Odisha, seeking stern action against Jagdev for entering a polling booth unauthorisedly and damaging an EVM. “He attacked the polling officials inside the booth and then fled the spot by hiding in the vehicle of Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi,” BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra alleged.
However, villagers of Kaunripatana under Bolagarh block in Khurda district claimed that the allegations levelled against the MLA were politically-motivated. They alleged that the presiding officer at the booth misbehaved with several voters and did the same with the MLA.