Odisha MLA Prashant Jagdev, suspended by BJD for assaulting BJP leader, arrested

Odisha MLA Prashant Jagdev, who was arrested by the police for slapping and abusing a Dalit leader of BJP, has courted controversies in the past over his strong-arm tactics.

Updated on: Oct 9, 2021, 02:02:25 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bhubaneswar: A 50-year-old Odisha MLA who was suspended from the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) last month over assaulting a Dalit leader of BJP near Chilika lake was arrested on Friday and sent to jail after a sessions court rejected his bail petition.

Odisha MLA Prashant Jagdev who was suspended by his party BJD for assaulting a BJP rival in September, has been arrested. (Twitter/@PrasantJagdev)

Prashant Jagdev, the BJD’s Chilika MLA, was sent to judicial custody after the Khurda additional sessions court rejected his bail application in the case of slapping and abusing BJP leader Niranjan Sethi. The Orissa high court rejected his anticipatory bail application on October 5.

Jagdev, who in the past has courted controversies over his strong-arm tactics, allegedly thrashed BJP’s Dalit leader Niranjan Sethi on September 8 when the latter protested the delay in distribution of National Food Security Act cards for the beneficiaries and assistance for construction of houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in Balugaon area of Khurda district. Jagdev also attacked a photojournalist and snatched his mobile.

Biju Janata Dal suspended Prashant Jagdev from the party within hours.

In December 2018, Prashant Jagdev threatened former Begunia sarpanch Naba Swain at the block office in the presence of district officials. In November 2016, he allegedly flung a kerosene lantern at the woman tehsildar of Bolgad when the latter was mapping a land. In July 2016, Prashant Jagdev and his supporters allegedly thrashed BJP activists over showing black flags to food supply minister and Youth BJD president Sanjay Dasburma in Boudh district.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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