BJD candidate held for attacking magistrate gets bail

A special court here Saturday granted conditional bail to BJD candidate and sitting MLA Pradeep Maharathy who was arrested on the charge of attacking a magistrate of the Election Commission's flying squad.

The court granted bail to the MLA on a surety of Rs 50,000 with a condition not to influence the witnesses, government pleader Pradipta Kumar Mishra said.

The court also directed him to cooperate with police in the investigation.

Earlier, police had submitted the case diary and injury report in the court.

The Pipili candidate's plea was slated to be heard on Wednesday but it was deferred due to delay in submission of case diary and injury report.

Maharathy, who is presently admitted to the Capital Hospital under judicial custody, was arrested on April 22 for attacking the EC's flying squad, including its magistrate, on the night of April 21.

The EC flying squad had reached Maharathy's farm house at Pipili after getting information about distribution of money and liquor before the polls to influence voters.

The former minister has been charged under various sections of the IPC and the Representation of the People Act.

Maharathy had to resign from the ministry in 2012 after being accused of shielding those involved in the Pipili gang rape and murder case. He again became a minister in 2014 but quit in January this year following his comment that the rape victim got justice after acquittal of two of the accused.

A 19-year-old Dalit girl was raped in Pipili in November 2011 and died in June 2012 after remaining in a semi-comatose state, sparking outrage in the state.