A day ahead of the election to the post of Block Chairman miscreants opened fire on the car of a Samiti member of Balishankara Block near Singari in Sundargarh district, on Friday.
Furthermore, the miscreants reportedly kidnapped two persons following the gun attack.
As per reports, the Samiti member was coming from Balishankara on the Boudh-Sonepur road when the miscreants, who came in three vehicles, intercepted his car at Singari. They then allegedly opened fire at the vehicle causing damage to it.
In the melee, the miscreants allegedly kidnapped two of the Samiti member’s close relatives.
As per report, a former MLA was present in one of the three vehicles used by the miscreants at the time of the incident.
The police arrived on the spot after learning about the incident and have launched a probe into the incident.
Post-Poll Violence Continues Unabatedly In Odisha
Even more than a week after the results for the Panchayat polls were announced, an unabated spate of violence continues in different parts of the State.
Several incidents of violence were reported today when the Nayab Sarpanch elections were underway. A group clash was reported at Raidiha Panchayat Office in Saharpada of Keonjhar district following a heated argument between supporters of two separate candidates. Several police officials were injured during the clashes.
"Groups of mischief-mongers, along with some women, gheraoed me and my staff before they attacked us. My hand got fractured during the clash. Many of my staff also suffered injuries," said Siba Prasad Aich, an injured police official.
In another such incident, a public-police faceoff was reported from Patasundarpur under Kantapada Block of Cuttack district. Villagers gheraoed a presiding officer suspecting partiality during the Nayab Sarpanch elections. A team from Olatpur police station which arrived at the spot was also gheraoed by the angry mob.
A similar incident was reported in the district from Salepur Block where a Ward member along with his supporters staged a sit-in protest at Sisua Panchayat office after locking it up demanding to cancel the Nayab Sarpanch elections.
"I won from Ward No 7 as Ward Member, but the administration has announced the name of the defeated candidate as the winner. I want the administration to announce my name as the winner. I demand justice," said Jaydev Rout, the complainant.
Meanwhile, two Ward members from Sahajbahala under Bolangir's Deogaon police limits have allegedly been kidnapped. Supporters of the kidnapped Ward Members looted ballot boxes from the Panchayat office as a sign of protest.
Similarly, another female Ward Member was allegedly kept in confinement for 2 hours by the rival party workers at Manchagaon under Nabarangpur's Tentulikhunti Block. Following such allegations, the Nayab Sarpanch elections came to a halt.
"Some anti-social people kidnapped my wife when we were on our way to vote and detained her for 2 hours. They separated an infant from the mother. I couldn't see them as they had covered their faces," said Chaitanya Semeli, husband of the kidnapped Ward Member.