Berhampur: M. Niranjan Reddy, a contractor and BJD leader, was arrested and sent to jail for allegedly attacking additional tehsildar of Digapahandi Sowmya Kanta Sowmyadarshi.

Reddy had also allegedly tried to hijack two seized vehicles, including one earthmover and a tractor-trolley, after a scuffle.

In an FIR lodged at Digapahandi police station on Monday, Reddy has been accused of asking the driver of the earthmover to run over and kill Sowmyadarshi.

Reddy is the husband of Digapahandi block vice-chairperson M. Anusuya Reddy.

"We have arrested M. Niranjan Reddy, driver of the earthmover Binayak Dehuri of Dedhasara village in Nayagarh district and driver of the tractor Ranjan Das of Kendupalli in Ganjam district. They were produced in court on Tuesday," said Digapahandi police station inspector-in-charge Debasish Mohanty.

Police sources said Reddy was involved in illegal stone quarrying at Janghama in Deophali. For many years he had been using the earthmover to extract the stone and a tractor to supply it to various locations.

But his illegal activities came to an end when the block development officer, who is also the tehsildar of Digapahandi, raided the quarry along with revenue supervisor Satya Narayan Panigrahi and revenue inspector Saroj Padhi during on Monday afternoon.

"During verification of the documents we found that the stone quarrying was illegal. I immediately sealed the quarry, seized the earthmover and the tractor and returned. I had asked Sowmyadarshi, who is also the enforcement officer, to bring the two seized vehicles to Digapahandi and hand over it to the police," the BDO said.

Sowmyadarshi said: "When we were on the Digapahandi-Chikiti main road, returning with the two seized vehicles from Janghama, about four people stopped my jeep near Padmanabhapur. The place is about 6km from Janghama. As my jeep stopped, Reddy and others scuffled with me. They used filthy language and asked me to release the vehicles."

"When I refused, Reddy asked his earthmover's driver to hit and kill me on the road. As the driver started the engine and the vehicle started moving towards me, I jumped out of its way. The two drivers, along with Reddy, took away the two vehicles and left the spot. I immediately informed the Digapahandi police, who followed them and nabbed them at Kalyanpur about 7km from Padmanabhapur and took them to the police station," said Sowmyadarshi.

Digapahandi court has rejected the bail petition of Reddy and the two drivers. They have been sent to the Digapahandi sub-jail on Tuesday, sources said.