Bhubaneswar, May 31: The Khordha Additional District Sessions Judge-2 Court, Bhubaneswar on Friday rejected bail plea of Chilika MLA and BJP's MLA candidate from Khordha assembly constituency, Prashant Jagdev in the alleged EVM toppling case during the third phase of polling held in Odisha.

"MLA Prashant Jagdev is innocent. Police arrested Jagdev without an FIR like a criminal. There was no evidence against him at the time of his arrest. The case was registered against him by pressurising the presiding officer. The sitting MLA was made to sit on the floor at the police station. He was not given food and  water. Late in the night at around 12.30, they woke up the magistrate and forwarded him to court. He could have been granted bail at the police station in accordance with Supreme Court order and CrPC provision in case of offence of less than 7 years of sentence. However, the drama was created at the booth during the polling to create an impact in other districts,” alleged senior advocate Pitambar Acharya, representing Jagdev.

Acharya also questioned police inaction in numerous poll violence involving BJD leaders in many places in the State .

On May 26, BJP leader Jagdev was arrested on the charges of “causing damage” toppling an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) during the third phase of polling held in Odisha on May 25.

However, the villagers of Kaunripatana under Bolagarh block in Khordha district, where the incident reportedly happened, claimed that the allegations levelled against the MLA were politically-motivated.

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