Odisha

Sambalpur (Odisha), Apr 18 (PTI) With a high-level BJP delegation being prevented from entering violence-hit Sambalpur, senior party leader and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan Tuesday urged Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to maintain “raj dharma” and act in a neutral manner.

Pradhan’s statement came hours after the Odisha Police detained members of the delegation comprising, among others, Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti and Tribal Affairs Bisheswar Tudu, Sundergarh MP Jual Oram and BJP state president Manmohan Samal.

Baripada, Oct 22 (PTI) A court in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district on Saturday sentenced a 45-year-old man to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment after convicting him of raping a girl eight years ago.

The judgment was delivered by Fast Track Court Judge Baripada Durga Charan Mishra.

The court imposed a fine of Rs 15,000 on the convict Arjun Hembram, Special Public Prosecutor Manoranjan Pattnaik said.

The court also directed Mayurbhanj District Legal Services Authority to pay Rs 7 lakh to the victim as compensation.

Jajpur, Oct 8 (PTI) A 33-year-old woman allegedly chopped off the genitals of her husband before stabbing him to death in Odisha's Jajpur district, police said on Saturday.

The incident took place at Pubola Mundasahi village on Friday night. The deceased has been identified as Raju Champia (39) of the village, police said.

Jajpur, Jul 3 (PTI) A newborn girl, who was allegedly sold by her parents due to poverty, in Odisha's Jajpur district, has been rescued, police said.

The incident came to the fore after a child development project officer of Dasarathpur block filed a recent police complaint that Suresh Das and his wife sold the infant to a childless couple for Rs 7,000, they said.

The baby girl was rescued from Champeipal village on Friday evening and handed over to the child welfare committee, a senior police officer said.

No one has been arrested yet, he said.

Balasore (Odisha)/New Delhi May 18 (PTI) The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy Wednesday successfully conducted the maiden flight-test of indigenously-developed Naval anti-ship missile launched from a Naval helicopter from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha, DRDO sources said.

The mission met all its objectives. It is the first indigenous air launched anti-ship missile system developed for the Indian Navy, they said.

Bhubaneswar, May 1 (PTI) Odisha Police on Sunday arrested BJP MLA Subhas Chandra Panigrahi from his official residence here for allegedly assaulting a block development officer in Deogarh district.

Along with Panigrahi, his two aides identified as Akalu Dhal and Kumarmani Sahoo, were also held over allegations of launching a murderous attack on Tileibani BDO Krushnachandra Dalapati at Bhaliaguda village on Saturday.

Sambalpur, Mar 25 (PTI) A 30-year-old man was arrested for allegedly beheading an eight-year-old girl and roaming with the severed head across a village in Odisha's Sambalpur district on Friday, police said.

The motive behind the macabre incident, which sent shockwaves at the village in Jamankira block, is yet to be ascertained, they said.

Rourkela, Mar 18 (PTI) The managing director of a private microfinance firm has been arrested in Odisha's Sundargarh district for allegedly embezzling over Rs 100 crore on the pretext of giving loans, police said on Friday.

The Economic Offences Wing of the Odisha Police arrested Deepak Kindo, who was absconding for over a year and a lookout circular was issued, from his native Lulkidihi village in Talasara block of Sundargarh district on Thursday.

Puri, Mar 16 (PTI) A servitor of the Jagannath temple in Puri was shot dead on Wednesday morning, leading to tension in the temple town, police said.

Krushna Chandra Pratihari, a former member of the temple Managing Committee, was shot dead near his house at Barabati Jagaghar in Town police station area, they said.

Two persons came on a bike and opened fire at Pratihari before fleeing from the spot, police said.

He was taken to the district hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead, they said.

Bhubaneswar, Mar 12 (PTI) At least 22 people, including seven police personnel, were injured on Saturday when suspended BJD MLA Prasant Jagdev's vehicle allegedly ran over them at Banapur in Khurda district, police said.

The MLA from Chilika was also critically injured as he was roughed up by a mob after the vehicle mowed down a section of the crowd which had gathered outside the BDO Banapur's office while election for the block chairperson was underway, they said.