Berhampur, March 7: The arrest of former Congress MLA from Sanakhemundi Ramesh Jena today snowballed into a political affair with the party alleging that police acted at the behest of the BJD to tarnish their image.

A joint team of Berhampur and Bhubaneswar police yesterday afternoon raided Ramesh's flat at Khandagiri and detained him. Later on yesterday night, Berhampur Town police arrested him for his involvement in three cases, including two cases under Arms Act.

Today, he was produced before a local court in Berhampur along with his father Arkhit on charges of several crimes, including possession of illegal firearms.

A delegation of Congress leaders, including Jeypore MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati, today met the IG (southern range) Amitav Thakur and alleged that the arrest was politically motivated.

"The arrest of Ramesh reflects the political vendetta of the BJD government. It targeted Ramesh as he further strengthened his position in Hinjili, the home constituency of Naveen Patnaik. We demand his immediate release. We met Thakur and discussed the issue for about half an hour. We clearly told him that Ramesh's arrest has been carried out at the instruction of Naveen," said Bahinipati.

The Congress will gherao the IG's office on March 11 in protest against the arrest.

Ramesh also rebuffed the allegations levelled against him and alleged that he was being victimised for political purposes. "I have done nothing illegal. Injustice is being done with me," he said, while coming out of the court.

The BJD, however, denied the allegations made by the Congress. "The Congress should not protect any criminals. The police have found enough evidence of criminal activities against Ramesh Jena, after which he was arrested," said BJD spokesperson Pratap Jena.

"A case was registered against Ramesh for possessing a country-made 9mm pistol with five rounds of live ammunition inside a vehicle that was used for carrying criminals. Berhampur Town police also registered another case against Ramesh and his father Arkhit as we seized another country-made pistol and Rs 10,70,300 from their Bila Sahi residence in Berhampur," said additional police superintendent Trinath Kumar Patel.

The sub-divisional police officer of Berhampur, Shantanu Kumar Das said that the police were investigating Ramesh's criminal antecedents.

"We suspect his involvement in gutkha, liquor and illegal arms trade. We also suspect his involvement in extortion from builders and contractors and various other illegal activities. We have also seized hundreds of sale deed documents and about 40 voter's identity cards from the houses of Ramesh in Bhubaneswar and Berhampur," the SDPO said.

Replying to a question about the suspected link between Ramesh and the Dhal Samant brothers who were arrested recently, Das said that they were probing that angle.