Bhubaneswar, Mar 21: The Commissionerate Police arrested two persons in connection with an alleged attack on the residence of senior BJD leader and former minister Pratap Jena in Bhubaneswar.

The accused were identified as Sidhartha Kumar Swain, 28, of Jagamara in Bhubaneswar, and Debi Prasad Lenka, 34, of Ostapur in Kendrapara district. Lenka had been staying in the Baramunda area of the city for the past few days, police said.

Employees Allegedly Assaulted
According to the complaint, a group of around 15 to 20 people allegedly attacked Jena’s quarters at about 11 pm on Friday.

The attackers allegedly abused security guards and other employees and assaulted them when they objected.

The group also burst firecrackers in front of the residence. A complaint was subsequently lodged with the Commissionerate Police.

Police Link Incident to Internal Rift
During the investigation, police said the incident appeared to be linked to an internal rift within the opposition party.

The attack allegedly followed the suspension of some youth leaders, prompting the group to target Jena’s residence, police said.

Police ruled out the use of explosives in the incident.

According to preliminary findings, the miscreants had burst firecrackers at the gate of the quarters.

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Accused Have Prior Cases
Police said Debi Prasad Lenka has a pending case at Kendrapara police station, while Swain had previously been booked in a case at Capital police station in Bhubaneswar.