As many as seven persons were allegedly kidnapped and assaulted for not casting their votes in favour of a Zilla Parishad candidate, who lost the elections, in the recently-concluded Panchayat elections at Sagada area under Manamunda block in Boudh district on Saturday.
The victims have been identified as Narayan Kanhara of Jorasingh village and six other villagers.
As per the allegation, Boudh Zilla Parishad Zone-4 BJD candidate Bayanti Pradhan’s husband Bipin Pradhan kidnapped Narayan and his friends and took them to a nearby jungle and assaulted them mercilessly.
“Bipin and his associates forcibly took us atop a mountain in the nearby jungle. They assaulted us mercilessly for not casting votes in favour of his wife Bayanti who was a BJD Zilla Parishad candidate,” alleged Narayan.
“They also snatched our money and threatened to kill us. Somehow, we managed to escape,” said Narayan.
The victims have lodged an FIR at Manamunda police station in this regard. Based on the complaint, police have launched an investigation into the incident.
Comments of the BJD candidate, her husband or the police could not be obtained.