The Opposition Congress on Monday brought abduction charges against Minister of State for Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts Snehangini Chhuria in the Assembly.
Raising the issue through a special mention during zero hour, Leader of Opposition Narasingh Mishra alleged that Chhuria had abducted an elderly person of the rival political party from Hatgaon village under Bheden police station of Bargarh district before the election to Rusuda Credit Cooperative Society on 18th January.
Though the son of the abducted person filed an FIR on 25th January in Rusuda police outpost, the same was registered on 29th January. Despite the Minister’s name being mentioned in the FIR, the police dropped her name from the case under pressure from the ruling party, Mishra said.
But the minister denied the allegations, “saying they are baseless and politically motivated”. “I am ready for the inquiry, after all the truth will come out after the inquiry”.
In the police complaint, Durga Ranbida (son of Sugriba Ranbida) said his father was forcibly taken by three supporters of the Minister to prevent him from exercising his franchise in the election to Rusuda Cooperative Society.
Durga filed the complaint on 25th January as his father did not return home even after eight days.
In a separate complaint to the District Superintendent of Police, Bargarh, Sugriba said he was taken to the Bargarh residence of the Minister and later shifted to her official quarter in Bhubaneswar.
On the voting day, Sugriba requested the minister to let him go to cast his vote. Though the minister assured him that he will be taken with her, she went to Kalahandi after taking his sign on blank papers, the complaint stated. Sugriba was allowed to go to his village on 26th January after the voting was over.
Apprehending danger to his life, Sugriba requested the SP to give him protection, mishra said and demanded action against the police officers for the deliberate delay in registering the complaint and not taking action against the minister.
Mishra requested Speaker Niranjan Pujari to direct Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who is also in charge of the Home department, to give a reply to the House on the incident.
