Bhubaneswar: Odisha police on Sunday arrested Right to Information (RTI) activist-turned-politician Pradip Pradhan in connection with a mental harassment case filed by sprinter Dutee Chand in 2021.
The Mahila police station under Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate Police arrested Pradhan, who is also the secretary of the new political outfit ‘Mo Dala'.
Dutee had lodged a complaint against Pradhan and some persons alleging that she was mentally harassed for her poor performance in Olympics two years ago, officials said.
Alleging that no action was taken against the accused, Dutee had moved Orissa High Court seeking action against Pradhan and others, they said.
Hearing the matter, the HC had instructed police to initiate legal action against Pradhan, police said.
"Initially, Pradhan was not arrested showing he was absconding. I visited the police station three times and later moved the HC seeking his arrest. Finally, police arrested Pradhan," Dutee said.
Refusing the allegations, Pradhan said a ‘false case' had been registered against him.
"I have been implicated in a false case because FIRs have been lodged against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and former bureaucrat VK Pandian by Mo Dala," alleged Pradhan.
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