Cuttack, Aug. 15: Police have recorded the statements of six councillors of the BJD accused of assaulting a Congress councillor during the council meeting of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) on July 29.
The councillors - Dayanidhi Nayak, Manoj Sethi, Ramzan Khan, Itishree Behera, Bikash Behera and Bijay Sahoo - appeared before senior officials of Purighat police station to record their statements yesterday.
All the six BJD councillors were earlier served notices by the police to appear in person by August 14 following the complaint lodged against them by Congress councillor from ward No. 18 Arun Sethi.
"It is unfortunate that I was called for recording my statement as I had first lodged a complaint against the Congress councillor who had misbehaved and pushed me into the CMC council hall. I have told the police everything about the incident," said BJD councillor from ward No. 2 Itishree Behera.
"All the councillors of our party have recorded our statements with the police. We have clearly told the officials that the brawl happened after Congress councillor Arun Sethi misbehaved with our party councillor Itishree Behera," said BJD councillor from ward No. 16 Ramzan Khan.
Senior officials of Purighat police station said the councillors were served notices and were asked to co-operate with the investigation.
"As a part of the investigation, we have recorded the statements of the BJD councillors and a few Congress councillors have been served notices to appear for their statements by August 20," said a senior investigating officer.
The police added that Congress councillors - Arun Sethi, Giribala Behera and Sk Shamim Ulla - had been served notices on the basis of the complaint filed by Itishree Behera.
On July 29, the civic body council meeting was disrupted by a clash between BJD and Congress councillors.
Tension prevailed in the house after councillors of the Opposition parties, including the BJP and the Congress, tried to corner the BJD over poor management of the dengue outbreak in the city.
The police said the video footage of the clash had been viewed, and the statements of municipal corporation officials had been recorded in connection with the brawl.
