Congress leader Bapi Sarkhel’s wife Munideepa Sarkhel on Mondaylaunched a scathing attack on Minister and Paradip MlA Damodar Rout by alleging that it was his political conspiracy to send his husband to jail.
Munideepa met Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Prasad Harichandan at the Congress Bhawan here and told him that Bapi Sarkhel has been falsely framed with political motive in the case of the murder of Seaways stevedoring company general manager Mahendra Swain at Paradip.
Speaking to mediapersons after meeting the PCC Chief, she also said, “I have come to fight against the injustice done to my husband. He has been framed in false charges and sent to jail. It was a conspiracy of Minister Dama Rout.”
She further said, “Though Bapi Sarkhel has been sent to jail, I will fight on behalf of him in the panchayat polls with the support of the Paradip-Erasama Industrial Development Council and local people.”
In his reaction, Rout said, “If the Congress leader has done any offence, law would take its own course. I have nothing to relate with the matter and to comment on the same.”
Notably, police arrested Sarkhel on November 18 and produced him before the Kujang JMFC (Judicial Magistrate First Class) Court, where his bail plea was rejected. He was sent to the Samagola Jail of Kujang and later shifted to the Alipingala Sub-Jail in Jagatsinghpur on security ground.
Meanwhile, the prime accused in the sensational crime, Rakesh Chaubey, has been taken on three-day remand by the Paradip police for interrogation.