BJD MLA arrested for forcing engineer to do sit-ups

The local police in western Odisha Bolangir district on Monday arrested newly elected ruling Biju Janata Dal(BJD) MLA, Saroj Meher for publicly humiliating and punishing a government servant.

Meher, the ruling party legislator from Patnagarh in Bolangir district made a public works department(PWD) junior engineer, a tribal, to do a sit-up in front of hundreds of villagers in his constituency expressing his displeasure over the poor quality of road construction. The lawmaker then threatened the engineer that he would ask the villagers present to thrash him(the engineer) up if he disobeyed his order

Following the incident, the wife of the humiliated engineer registered a case against the legislator in Patnagarh police station. The engineering associations, as well as tribal groups, had also threatened to launch agitations if the MLA is not arrested.

Naveen Patnaik led ruling regional outfit had also been strongly criticized by Opposition parties for protecting the accused party MLA. Meher had moved the state high court for an anticipatory bail which was rejected. The Bolangir police had registered a case against the legislator under different sections of the IPC.