Suryap

Anandpur: Trouble mounted for School and Mass Education Minister Badri Narayan Patra after a police complaint was lodged against his second son Debapriya for attacking a youth in Guhalia in Keonjhar two days back.

As per the complaint lodged at the Ghasipura Police Station, Debapriya and his 15 supporters intercepted the youth, identified as Prashant Sahu near Guhalia and attacked him murderously.

Though police have begun a probe into the incident, no one has been arrested yet. Keonjhar DSP Harish Chandra Pandey said a manhunt has been launched to nab the accused in the case.

Meanwhile, Patra targeted Rajya Sabha member Soumya Ranjan Patnaik and his brother and Odisha Congress chief Niranjan Patnaik for hatching a conspiracy to diminish his political influence in Keonjhar district.

“Efforts are being made to malign my image. Niranjan Patnaik is carrying out such activities to tarnish my popularity and his brother Soumya Patnaik and his media house are spreading false information against me,” the minister added.

Commenting on the charges, Niranjan Patnaik said “Indiscipline is growing within BJD at different places across the State and Keonjhar district is amongst them. Patra should ask his himself whether he and his family have been doing the right things in the past 20 years. I don’t want to comment on what he said about me.”

However, reactions from Soumya Ranjan Patnaik could not be obtained.

BJP’s Lekhashree Samantsinghar sought a clarification from the minister on the police complaint against his son. “The minister should clarify why his sons are behaving in such unruly manner,” she added.

Patra’s another son Debasish Patra, is lodged in jail on charges of attacking police officials.

While Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had taken action against the then Mass Education Minister, Bishnu Das in marksheet scandal case and former Minister Raghunath Mohanty in a dowry torture case, his silence on Badri Patra’s case continues to raise many eyebrows.

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