Bhubaneswar: In a dramatic escalation of events that have roiled Odisha’s political landscape, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jagannath Pradhan was arrested late Thursday evening in connection with the alleged assault on Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation additional commissioner Ratnakar Sahu amid ceasework and intense protests by the Odisha Administrative Service Association and mounting pressure from opposition parties.
Pradhan, member of BJP state executive and a defeated candidate in the 2024 Assembly elections from Bhubaneswar Central, arrived at the office of deputy commissioner of police in Bhubaneswar Thursday evening and surrendered before the police. “I have come here to cooperate with the investigation," he stated, adding, “If my arrest can resolve the issue, I am ready to cooperate.” Denying any involvement in the incident, Pradhan said: “I have no connection with the attack on the BMC additional commissioner. This is a conspiracy to malign my party and our government.”
Soon after he surrendered, he was taken to a government hospital for health check-up. A senior police official confirmed that Pradhan was taken into custody under charges related to assault and criminal conspiracy, though further details were withheld pending interrogation.
The incident, which occurred on Monday at the BMC office, saw Ratnakar Sahu, a senior OAS officer, dragged from his chamber, kicked, and assaulted by a group of individuals, some allegedly linked to Pradhan. Videos of the attack, which went viral on social media, showed the officer being manhandled in full public view, prompting condemnation from across the political spectrum. So far, the Commissionerate Police have arrested BJP corporator Aparaup Narayan Rout, Sanjeev Mishra, Sachikanta Swain, Rashmi Mahapatra and Debasish Pradhan over the attack.
{{/usCountry}}The incident, which occurred on Monday at the BMC office, saw Ratnakar Sahu, a senior OAS officer, dragged from his chamber, kicked, and assaulted by a group of individuals, some allegedly linked to Pradhan. Videos of the attack, which went viral on social media, showed the officer being manhandled in full public view, prompting condemnation from across the political spectrum. So far, the Commissionerate Police have arrested BJP corporator Aparaup Narayan Rout, Sanjeev Mishra, Sachikanta Swain, Rashmi Mahapatra and Debasish Pradhan over the attack.
{{/usCountry}}However, the OAS Association demanded that Pradhan be arrested as he was the “prime accused” and “kingpin” behind the attack, issuing a three-day ultimatum to the state government for his arrest. The strike, which began on July 1, has led to delays in critical services, including land record management and public grievance redressal.
The opposition Biju Janata Dal had intensified calls for Pradhan's arrest, noting that two of the five individuals already detained—BJP corporator Jeevan Rout, Sanjeev Mishra, Sachikanta Swain, Rashmi Mahapatra, and Debasish Pradhan—were reportedly close associates of Pradhan. “This is an assault on the rule of law,” former chief minister Naveen Patnaik said in a statement.
The BJP, which has been grappling with the fallout, initially appeared to back Pradhan, with party leaders dismissing the allegations as “politically motivated” attempts by the BJD to defame the government. However, as public and bureaucratic pressure mounted, Pradhan met Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal on Wednesday, offering “full cooperation” with legal proceedings.
BJP sources said that the arrest was a calculated move to contain the growing crisis, especially as OAS officers continued their mass leave protest, disrupting services in over 20 districts. “No one is above the law, be it party worker or anyone else,” said union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, signalling the party’s intent to distance itself from the controversy.
The incident has also fuelled a political slugfest, with the BJD and Congress accusing the BJP of attempting to “saffronise” the bureaucracy. BJP MP Pradip Purohit countered, alleging that the OAS protest was orchestrated by the BJD to destabilise the Mohan Majhi government.