Police on Monday arrested newly-elected Patnagarh BJD MLA Saroj Kumar Meher for allegedly forcing a Public Works Department Junior Engineer to do sit-ups in public and passing casteist remarks at Belapada in the district.
Later, Meher was produced in the residence of the Additional District Judge (ADJ). After his bail petition was rejected, he was sent to seven days’ judicial custody.
Earlier on Sunday night, Meher had been picked from a hotel room in Nuapada by a police team and brought to Balangir for questioning. He was interrogated for nearly three hours at an unknown place before being arrested.
Earlier, in a report to the State Government Balangir district Collector Arindam Dakua had stated that due to inferior quality road construction work, the MLA had asked PWD JE Jayakanta Sabar, a tribal, to do sit-ups in Belpada and asked a senior PWD official to slap the JE.
On June 6, a video showing the MLA forcing the JE to do sit-ups had gone viral on social media.
Though the MLA tendered an apology a day after the incident, a case was lodged against him on the basis of a complaint filed by the JE’s wife against him accusing him of publicly humiliating her husband. Police said the case was registered under different sections of the IPC and the SC, ST Atrocities Act.
Demanding action against the MLA, the Balangir District Tribal Welfare Association had embarked on an agitation and threatened to gherao the State Assembly on June 26. In view of the MLA’s arrest, the threat was withdrawn on Monday.