Bhubaneswar: The police have registered an FIR against 11 senior Congress leaders. including OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das, and 5,000 other unnamed party members for the violence that occurred during the ‘Vidhan Sabha Gherao’ programme. The Congress had organised the ‘Vidhan Sabha Gherao’ programme on March 27 in protest against the “rise in atrocities” against women and girls. Several people, including police personnel, were injured in the clash during the protest.

The case was registered on March 28 at the Capital police station on the basis of a report of inspector-in-charge (IIC) Dayanidhi Nayak. The details of the case were shared with the media on Wednesday. Apartfrom the OPCC chief, the other senior Congress leaders whose names have been mentioned in the FIR are Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Rama Chandra Kadam, MLAs Tara Prasad Bahinipati, Ramesh Chandra Jena, Pabitra Saunta, Sagar Charan Das, Prafulla Chandra Pradhan, Mangu Khila, C S Raazen Ekka, Md Moquim and Suresh Chandra Routray.

Charges like unlawful assembly, rioting, wrongful restraint, use of criminal force against a public servant and criminal intimidation have been framed against the leaders and 5,000 other unnamed members of the Congress party. So far, at least three persons have been arrested in connection with the case and further investigation is under progress,said a police officer of Capital Police station.