Source:
Odisha Diary
http://www.orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=49187
Date:
13.04.2014
City:
Bhubaneswar
Report by Priyabrata Nayak, Bhubaneswar: Altogether 186 candidates, 25% of the total 744 in the fray for second-phase assembly polls, are facing criminal charges, revealed an analysis of self-sworn affidavits by Association for Democratic Reforms and Odisha Election Watch on Sunday.
Addressing to media persons Ranjan Kumar Mohanty, coordinator of Odisha Election Watch (OEW) said Ama Odisha Party candidate Rabindra Jarika contesting from Sukinda constituency in Jajpur district tops the list with 38 criminal cases including 71 serious IPC counts pending against him. Jarika has 27 charges related to criminal intimidation (section 506 of IPC), 11 charges of theft (IPC section 379), 3 charges related to outrage of modesty of women (IPC-354), 4 charges related to voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon (IPC-324).
Jarika is followed by Judhisthir Samantaray of Congress party contesting from Pipili assembly segment has 27 criminal cases with 45 serious charges and Braja Kishore Pradhan of ruling BJD from Talcher seat, is facing 27 serious criminal cases, Mohanty added.
Affidavits of three candidates Dibrat Chandra Mohanta (Independent) candidate from Morada assembly seat, Artatrana Pradhan (Samata Kranti Dal) from Ranpur seat and Sanjay Das (Independent) from Bramhagiri seat couldn’t been analysed due to unavailability.
According to the analytical report of the 186 candidates who have declared criminal cases pending against them, as many as 144 candidates are facing serious IPC counts includes murder, attempt to murder, rape, kidnapping, crime against women.
The party wise analysis said 32 (42%) out of 77 candidates fielded by Congress party have declared serious criminal cases pending against them. Meanwhile 17 candidates (22%) out of 77 candidates contesting with BJD ticket, 24 (31%) out of 77 candidates of BJP, 9 (14%) out of 63 of AAP have declared serious criminal offences in their self-sworn affidavits.
Whereas 21 candidates have declared murder and attempt to murder related cases pending against them, 20 candidates have declared they are facing cases related to crime against women.
