22 Held For Poll Rigging, Assault On Journalists During Phase 1 Of Odisha Panchayat Elections 

As many as 22 persons have been arrested for their alleged involvement in poll rigging incidents in Jajpur district and attack on journalists in Puri district during the first phase of three-tier Panchayat elections on Wednesday.

While 14 arrests have been made in connection with poll rigging incidents in Jajpur, eight people have been arrested for assaulting journalists while they were covering the polls in Puri.

As many as 12 persons were accused of poll rigging at three booths in Dharmasala block and two others at Rudrapur booth under Jajpur block in the district.

Similarly, police conducted simultaneous raids at various places at Badal panchayat under Gadisagada panchayat in Puri district and arrested eight individuals for assaulting four journalists including two camerapersons. 

Cases have been registered against them under Sections 341, 323 and 294 of the IPC, sources said adding that one mobile phone, two booms and live telecast machines have been seized from their possession.

Meanwhile, a team headed by additional SP Purnachandra Swain and SDPO Kishore Munda has been formed for further investigation into the matter.

Notably, four on-duty journalists were brutally assaulted by miscreants who were trying to capture a booth by force, during the first phase of polling for the three-tier Panchayat Elections at Badal Panchayat under Kanas block in Puri yesterday.

In protest against the attack on the scribes, several journalists had staged a dharna in front of Gadisagada police Station demanding immediate action against the perpetrators.