The conflict between Paradip Municipality BJD Councillor Manas Biswal and advocate Debabrata Sahoo is likely to lead to a law and order situation in the whole Jagatsinghpur district. Police have not taken any action to resolve the crisis.
On January 30 at 11 pm, Ward-15 Councillor Manas Biswal arranged a Trinath Mela in the Badapadia Bijaya Market premises at Paradip . The loudspeaker on the occasion blared loudly. Advocate Debabrata Sahoo who was working in his chamber near the market informed Paradip police station IIC SS Nayak that the loudspeaker sound violated the Supreme Court’s guideline.
After five minutes of this information to the police, Biswal came with 25 people to Sahoo’s chamber and allegedly using unacceptable language threatened to kill him because he informed the police about their loud blaring sound at the Mela.
On January 31, Sahoo lodged an FIR against Biswal along with his 25 associates, who had barged into his chamber and threatened him. But the Paradip police didn’t register the FIR on the same day. Several members of the Kujang Bar Association led by its president ND Yadav came to the Paradip police station and demanded arrest of Biswal. They met ASP Bishnu Charan Mishra and IIC SS Nayak and gave five days’ deadline for arrest of the accused persons otherwise they would call a cease-work strike from February 7.
The Jagatsinghpur Bar Association also supported the Kujang Bar Association and demanded suspension of the Paradip police station IIC and arrest of the culprits. If the police do not take any legal action against the culprits, the Jgatsinghpur Bar Association would also go on cease-work strike along with the Kujang Bar Association, they said.
Jagatsinghpur Bar Association president Raj Kishore Khatua and secretary Rabindra Swain criticised the Paradip police for their role in protecting culprits. They would meet the district SP to appraise him about the issue, he said.
Reliable sources said Paradip PS IIC Nayak is very friendly with Councillor Biswal and shared food with Biswal on the same plate, a photocopy of which has gone viral in and around Paradip on WhatsApp. Earlier, Biswal had gone on a three-month jail term in a theft case. But Nayak helping him and trying to compromise the present issue. If the district’s lawyers go on strike, the general public will face problems in their court work. So, the DG of Police should take legal action before any serious law and order situation, locals opine.