Bhubaneswar, June 9: Nine accused have been arrested by the Kaptipada Police in Mayurbhanj district in connection with the assault on Bhimakanta Majhi, Additional Tahsildar of Kaptipada, confirmed Dr. Satyajit Naik, DIG, Eastern Range, Balasore.
Initially, eight accused were apprehended, followed by the arrest of one more accused from Puri today morning, bringing the total number of arrests to nine.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Akash alias Nilakantha Nayak, Ranjit Kumar Mohanty, Manoj Kumar Puhan, Hemanta Behera, Tata alias Banamali Mohanty, Sameer Rout, Aju alias Ananta Das, and Deepak Padhi. Notably, Aju alias Ananta Das and Deepak Padhi were arrested from Jamshedpur.
Efforts are underway to trace and apprehend the remaining more than 10 accused. Mobile numbers linked to the suspects have been forwarded to the Cyber Cell to help determine their locations.
The incident occurred when the Additional Tahsildar was allegedly attacked by a suspected sand Mafia group led by Alok Raut last week. The officer, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste community, was reportedly subjected to caste-based abuse and public humiliation.
A case has been registered under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The investigation is being led by the SDPO of Udala.
Dr. Satyajit Naik, DIG, Eastern Range, and the Superintendent of Police, Mayurbhanj, are closely monitoring the situation under the guidance of the DGP, Odisha. Authorities have assured that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure justice is delivered.
