BJP candidate booked for damaging EVM; 2 aides held

Puri: Gadishagoda police in Kanas block Wednesday registered a case against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee for Satyabadi Assembly constituency on charges of damaging an electronic voting machine (EVM) at a booth during the third phase elections in state Tuesday.
BJP candidate Omprakash Mishra has also been booked for terrorising polling officials at gunpoint.
The presiding officer of booth no.78 at Balabhadra Nodal School at Birakesarpur of Dibyasinghpur panchayat in Kanas block had lodged a complaint with regard to the incident Tuesday.
Mishra and a few of his aides have been booked under Sections 147, 148, 452, 427, 341, 323, 333, 307, 186 and 149 of IPC and various Sections of Arms Act and Representative of People Act, said Puri district Superintendent of Police Umashankar Dash. According to police, Mishra and his aides had entered into the booth illegally and tried to prevent the polling officials to carry out their duties.
The BJP candidate and his associates had terrorised the polling officials with a gun and damaged the EVM. They also damage some documents at the booth.
Mishra has absconded soon after the incident. However, police arrested Mishra’s two aides—Akhaya Bishwal and Manas Samantaray—in connection with the incident. They also sized a gun and six bullets from the arrested duo.
Meanwhile, Puri district police formed three special teams to arrest Mishra. “Our officials have raided Mishra’s houses in Kanas area of Puri and Bhubaneswar. If required, we would issue a warrant against him and send a team to outside Odisha,” said the SP.