Angul: The Bantala police today lodged case against 52 persons including Ragudiapada village head and secretary on charges of holding a kangaroo court and forcing ward member Mallika Sahu’s husband Dushmanta Sahu to beat a gong as punishment.
Dushmanta also lodged a police complaint against the Ragudiapada village head and secretary.
During the naib sarpanch election, Mallika Sahu had voted in favour of ward member Bidyadhar Prusty instead of Rama Sahu, who was enjoying large support of several villagers in Ragudiapada.
After Prusty was elected naib sarpanch, villagers got angry and held a meeting in which they fined Rs 50,000 on Mallika and Dushmanta. When they showed their inability to pay the amount, the couple was boycotted by the villagers and asked to go around the village beating a gong as punishment.
Dushmanta on Thursday was seen beating a gong on his bicycle in the village.
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Meanwhile, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan tweeted on the issue and said, “Everyone has right to live with dignity. In a civil society this kind of act is totally unacceptable.” The BJP activists also staged protest in front of the Angul Collector’s office demanding immediate arrest of the accused.