Odisha Administrative Service officers resume work after arrest of BJP leader in assault of senior colleague

Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officers have resumed work after the arrest of BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan in connection with the assault of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) additional commissioner, an official said on Friday.

The OAS officers were on mass leave since Tuesday following the assault of BMC additional commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo, a senior OAS officer, who was allegedly dragged out of his office and attacked by a group of miscreants on Monday.

Pradhan was arrested on the basis of statement of the victim, accused persons and evidence collected during preliminary investigation, Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena said.


So far, six people including Jagannath Pradhan have been arrested in this incident, he said.

Following the arrest of BJP leader Pradhan, who was allegedly the main conspirator on the assault on Sahoo, the OAS officers withdrew their 'cease work' protest on Thursday night. They resumed duty in their respective positions on Friday morning, an officer said.

"Today we have resumed our duties. As our demand was fulfilled, the association has instructed all OAS officers to join duty. So, we resumed work today," said Ashirvad Parida, deputy commissioner, Berhampur Municipal Corporation.

Pradhan, who lost the 2024 Odisha assembly election from Bhubaneswar Central constituency, surrendered before police at the Bhubaneswar Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) office on Thursday night.

Later, he was arrested under different sections of BNS, a police officer said.

The BJP leader was forwarded to court and later sent to 14-day judicial custody after his bail petition was rejected by a local court here.

Meanwhile, security at the BMC office building has been tightened. Security personnel along with gunmen have been deployed at the BMC building.

"After holding discussion with the police commissioner, we have deployed some additional security personnel at our office. They will be given the necessary training to avoid such situations in the future," BMC Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil told reporters.