OJM member Amiya Pandav arrested, released on bail

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Jan Morcha (OJM) executive body member Amiya Pandav was arrested by Mancheswar police here on Friday in an arson case lodged by Odisha Lok Dal president Diptiranjan Mohanty. Later he was released on an anticipatory bail, police sources said.

Mohanty had lodged an FIR against Pandav for threatening him and torching his vehicle a few days ago. After the complaint, the Mancheswar police arrested Pandav from his VSS Nagar residence in the city on Friday morning.

On the other hand, Pandav denied the allegations made by Mohanty. He said that he does not know the person at all who made allegation against him. “Why the complainant didn’t mention my vehicle number in the FIR, if I was present there to torch his vehicle,” he said, adding, “It is a false case lodged by the complainant to morally harass me as I’m going take part in the November 19 rally of OJM in Bhawanipatna.”

He also alleged that BJD leaders are using some hired complainant to lodge cases against them to scuttle the November 19 rally of his party. The persons who are fabricating the false cases against him, they could not get success in their plan to scuttle the rally or to create obstacle in his way, he added.