Balangir, May 3: Former Congress chairman of Deogaon block Laxman Meher and seven others were arrested yesterday for allegedly issuing threat, misbehaving in public and trying to beat up the local block development officer (BDO) and some other block officials.

The incident allegedly took place during a social audit of MGNREGA work in Udaar panchayat of Deogaon block. Those arrested have been kept in custody since their bail was rejected by a Balangir court.

Police sources said that district administration had organised a social audit of MGNREGA work that had been taken up in Udaar panchayat on Saturday. All concerned officials including Deogaon ABDO, social extension officer (SEO), panchayat executive officer and the gram rozgar sevak (GRS) had reached the panchayat office. Several labourers who worked under the scheme had also come.

When Deogaon BDO Taranisen Naik reached the place after some time, the enraged villagers bombarded him with complaints like non-availability of PDS rice, wheat and sugar.

Some villagers of Uddar, namely Pradeep Bohidar, Tanuj Pradhan, Arjuna Sahu and Arabinda Pradhan, manhandled the BDO and tried to beat him up with shoes. They allegedly also tried to damage his government vehicle. They also went after the block officials, panchayat executive officer and the gram rozgar sevak.

The shocked officials were stranded at the panchayat office till the evening. Later, BDO Naik lodged a complaint at the Tusura police station. In the complaint Naik said: “When I reached the panchayat office to review the social audit that was being organised there, some villagers suddenly started misbehaving with me and some other officials. They tried to beat me up with shoes.”

The complaint named Deogaon’s former Congress block chairman Laxman Meher and one Pramod Bohidar who had instigated the villagers. Panchayat executive officer Gajanan Naik, in another complaint, named two others — Sonu Pradhan and Ranjan Bhukta — who manhandled and issued him a death threat in public.