Police gives clean chit to MLA in assault case

BHUBANESWAR: Baghamari police in Khurda district registered a case against BJD MLA from Bhubaneswar-Central constituency Ananta Narayan Jena on Wednesday for allegedly misbehaving with a woman on Tuesday. Police, however, on Thursday gave a clean chit to the ruling party MLA and said the charges against him were false.
“We had received the complaint of assault and misbehaviour with a woman against the MLA and two of his associates.We immediately registered a case against the three persons. But, during inquiry we found that the woman lodged false case against them. She wanted to settle a score with the MLA in a personal case,” Khurda SP Ajay Pratap Swain told TOI.
Jena was booked under sections 448 (house trespass), 294 (obscene act), 354-B (assault on woman with intent to disrobe), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (crime committed by several persons) of IPC.
Police said the woman complainant was aggrieved and vindictive following arrest of her husband for allegedly attacking Jena’s relative following a dispute on Tuesday. “We had arrested the woman’s husband and another person for attacking the MLA’s relative (a retired army officer). The duo attacked the ex-army officer as he denied to pay them extortion. The duo had also been harassing the ex-army officer for carrying farming on his land,” the Khurda SP said.
Contacted, Jena refuted the allegations. “The woman’s husband along with his henchmen attacked my close family relative. I rushed to Baghamari village and accompanied him to the police station to lodge a complaint. Since police took action against the woman’s husband, she framed me in the false case. The accused is a habitual offender and extortionist in the locality,” Jena told TOI.