BJP State spokesperson Golak Mohapatra on Wednesday appeared before the Chhatrapur police and was questioned in connection with the murder of Chhatrapur Municipality Councillor laxmidatta Pradhan following a notice issued to him by police on Tuesday night.
Mohapatra accompanied by several other BJP leaders and activists arrived at the Chhatrapur police station at around 1.30 pm. He spent around 40 minutes in the police station and was asked to come back after two hours after lunch. But Additional SP said Mohapatra was for 10 to 15 minutes at the police station.
However, after coming out, Mohapatra said to reporters that he answered all the questions asked by the cops satisfactorily. Whenever the police ask him, he would appear before them.
He then returned again for questioning by the police for a second phase and was grilled for nearly two hours. Sources said he was quizzed about his alleged links with key conspirators of the case, Krushna Nayak and Duryodhan Reddy, and his alleged conversations with them over phone.
Earlier in the day, Chhatrapur BJD MlA Priyanshu Pradhan and other BJD members held a huge rally at Chhatrapur demanding immediate arrest of Mohapatra.
Meanwhile, the mother and brother of the slain Councillor laxmidatta Pradhan demanded four more people to be brought under the purview of investigations to unravel the entire truth. They said a contractor, Chakrapani Reddy, Bulu Panda, Titu Panda and an officer of the Saraf Group should be questioned and their call details before 15 days of the murder should be probed so that some material clues can be unearthed.
However as the case is getting murkier by the day, BJP and BJD leaders were again locked in a war of words. BJP leader Manmohan Samal said he won’t blame the police but the Chief Minister because in his constituency Hinjili in Gnjam district people had held a road blockade on Tuesday demanding action against the prevailing law and order situation there.
In reply, BJD spokesperson Debasish Samantray said that when the national president of the BJP is involved in criminal activities, what can be expected from the others in that party.