BJD workers demand Baijayant Panda's arrest for flying chopper over Chilika Lake

Bhubaneswar (Odisha): The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) workers staged a protest in Bhubaneswar, demanding the arrest of their former party leader Baijayant Jay Panda for allegedly flying his chopper over an "eco-sensitive zone" in Chilika Lake.

Former Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Panda's chopper has already been seized by police on the charge that he had violated rules by flying over a highly sensitive zone. The investigation into the matter is underway.

Panda, who quit Odisha's ruling BJD in May after he was suspended for an alleged "anti-party activities", was accused of flying his chopper over an "eco-sensitive zone" in Chilika Lake around 1.30 pm on Saturday.

The Odisha Police in Puri have seized the hangar of IMFA, the company founded by Panda's father.

Reportedly, the black box data from the chopper was sent for the probe to establish its flight details and to find out whether it had landed in Chilika or had flown low over the sanctuary.