Puri: Puri Superintendent of Police Uma Shankar Dash Thursday urged BJP’s candidate for Satyabadi Assembly constituency Om Prakash Mishra to surrender failing which he would be declared an ‘absconder’ and necessary legal proceeding will be initiated against him.
The cops have already issued a lookout circular against him and have been raiding several places to trace him for allegedly vandalising EVM machine along with threatening the polling staff during third phase of polling Tuesday April 23.
The cops have also alerted the airports and customs to detain him if he was seen in those places.
Two of his aides identified as Akhaya Biswal and Manas Samantaray have already been arrested in connection with the incident.
They 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.
The action was taken based on the complaint of Sibaram Mahapatra, the presiding officer of booth no. 78 at Balabhadra Nodal school in Birakesharipur village. He had filed a complaint with the Gadishagoda police station alleging that at about 6:00pm on April 23, Om along with his supporters barged into the booth and damaged the EVM machine while the voting was in progress.
He had fled from the scene brandishing a handgun after voters tried to resist him; however, the people caught hold of two of his accomplices and handed them over to cops, the presiding officer had said.
