Phulbani (Odisha): A ruling BJD leader and
prominent Christian functionary in Odisha`s communally
sensitive Kandhamal district Junus Pradhan was on Monday arrested
for alleged links with Maoists and involvement in recent
landmine blasts, police said.
Junus Pradhan, block president of Daringbadi, was
picked up from his house in the early hours on charge of his
involvement in last week`s landmine blasts near Kotagarh in
which four persons including three policemen were killed and
three others injured, superintendent of police Jaynarayan
Pankaj said.
Pradhan is also the Kandhamal district chief of
Christian Janakalyan Samaj, the apex body of tribal Christians
in the district.
A landmine went off when a police team with two
trained dogs was proceeding in a vehicle on Kotagarh-Srirampur
road on January 5 to the site of the blast the previous day in
which one person was killed.
The deceased included two police constables and a
homeguard, the sources said adding they were identified
as Sunasir Mohanty, Umakant Jani and Sangram Lenka.
Meanwhile, as soon as the news of Pradhan`s arrest
spread, hundreds of BJD supporters had assembled in front of
the block office at Daringbadi shouted slogans demanding his
immediate release.
PTI
