Odisha: RTI activist-turned-politician held in harassment case filed by Dutee Chand

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Police has 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 the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate Police on Sunday 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.

Claiming that no action was taken against the accused, Dutee had moved the Orissa High Court, they said.

Hearing the matter, the court had instructed police to initiate legal action against Pradhan, the officials said.

"Initially, Pradhan was not arrested... I visited the police station three times and later moved the HC seeking his arrest. Finally, police apprehended Pradhan," Dutee said.

Meanwhile, denying the allegations, Pradhan said a “false case” had been registered against him.

"I have been implicated in a false case because FIRs were lodged against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and former bureaucrat V K Pandian by Mo Dala," Pradhan claimed.