Prashant Jagdev’s Bail Plea Rejected in EVM Toppling Case; Lawyer Alleges Police Brutality

Bhubaneswar: Khordha Additional District Sessions Judge-2 on Friday rejected the bail plea of Chilika MLA Prashant Jagdev, who stands accused of tampering with an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) during Odisha’s third-phase polling.

The plea was rejected during the second hearing, despite efforts from Jagdev’s lawyer Pitambar Acharya and 40 other advocates.

Jagdev’s legal team intends to appeal to the High Court following this decision. Meanwhile, Acharya has levelled serious allegations against the police, claiming mistreatment and torture of the BJP leader post-arrest. Allegedly, Jagdev was subjected to inhumane conditions, including being made to sit on the floor at the police station and denied food and water.

Acharya further accused the police of violating protocols, hindering Jagdev’s ability to campaign in other districts. He asserts Jagdev’s innocence and condemns the police’s actions, claiming they lacked substantial evidence for the arrest and pressurised the Presiding Officer to file an FIR.