Bijepur Assembly bypoll: Padampur SDPO transferred ahead of elections

Earlier, a delegation led by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had moved the Election Commission of India seeking Panda's trasnfer from Padmapur, which is part of the by-poll bound Bijepur Assembly se

Bhubaneswar, February 22: The Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Padampur,Laxmi Narayan Panda, was transferred on Thursday ahead of the February-24 by-poll in Bijepur Assembly seat in Odisha's Bargarh district.

"The transfer of Laxmi Narayan Panda has been made by the order of the chief electoral officer (CEO)," Director General of Police (DGP) R P Sharma told reporters here. Railway Police Officer (GRP) of Jharsuguda, Khirasagar Nayak, has been posted as SDPO, Padampur in place of Panda, Sharma said adding that the outgoing SDPO has been posted at the office of the IG, Northern Range, in Sambalpur.

Earlier, a delegation led by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had moved the Election Commission of India seeking Panda's transfer from Padmapur, which is part of the by-poll bound Bijepur Assembly seat.

Pradhan had raised the question as to how Panda without carrying out any investigation know that Rs 40.5 lakh seized from a vehicle at Mahulipali on Padampur-Bijepur road on February 17 from one Akash Agarwal, was meant for BJP’s election expenses. The BJP had accused Panda of working for the ruling BJD.

The Odisha government On February 10 had appointed Yamini Sarangi and J N Pankaj as collector and SP respectively of Bargarh in place of Khagendra Padhi and Jugal Banoth following a directive of the Election Commission. The opposition BJP too had sought transfer of Bargarh district collector and SP.

PTI