Koraput bandh affects life

Normal life was today thrown out of gear in Koraput district due to a 12-hour bandh observed by the Congress in protest against the attack on the brother and nephew of the party's candidate for Jeypore Assembly seat Tara Prasad Bahinipati allegedly by BJD workers.
While buses remained off the road, shops, markets, schools, colleges and financial institutions remained closed.
Demanding immediate arrest of the attackers, Congress workers picketed at several places and blocked road at various points on NH-26.
"If the culprits are not arrested within the next 48 hours, we will gheraoed the residence of Koraput SP," said Bahinipati alleging that the incident has taken place on the direction of the School and Mass Education Minister Rabi Narayan Nanda.

In a post-poll violence, the brother and nephew of Bahinipati were stabbed on Thursday night by a group of people allegedly led by BJD's district youth president Dharmendra Adhikari.
Quoting the FIR lodged by Bahinapati, police said the incident took place at around 1.30 AM when Bahinipati's son and two nephews were sleeping at a hotel in Jeypore.

"Adhikari with two other persons attacked my son and my nephews with sharp-edged weapons at the hotel. While my son managed to flee my nephews were attacked and one of them was stabbed," the FIR said.
Nanda, however, denied the charge saying neither he nor any one of his party was involved in the attack.

Police said, "After verifying the CCTV footage of the hotel, cases were lodged against Adhikari and six others under section 307 of the IPC and section 25 (a) and (b) of Arms Act. The attackers are absconding and investigation is on.