The police have given a clean chit to Biju Janata Dal MP from Kendrapara Anubhav Mohanty and his younger brother Anuprasa Mohanty, who were booked last month for the alleged assault and harassment of a local woman journalist.
City DCP Akhileswar Singh said the investigation so far reveals that there is no evidence for the assault of the woman scribe by the MP or the passing of lewd comments by his brother.
“There was a heated exchange between the two parties on the day of the incident, but no such evidence [of harassment or assault] has been found from the CCTV footage and mobile phone recordings to substantiate the other allegations made by the complainant against the MP and his family,” the DCP said.
The journalist had alleged that the MP’s younger brother repeatedly passed obscene comments on her and on June 13, when she had visited the MP’s house at Choudhury Bazar under Purighat police station to complain about it, the MP and his wife assaulted her.
A day after, the police booked the MP and his family under Sections 294, 354-A, 323 and 34 of the IPC. A counter FIR was also filed against the journalist by the MP’s brother.
The police have recorded statements of six witnesses in connection with both the cases so far.
