Four arrested for assaulting journalist in Odisha’s Bolangir
Bhubaneswar, May 26 (PTI): Odisha Police on Monday arrested four persons, including a juvenile, for allegedly assaulting a journalist in Bolangir district.
According to police, the incident took place in the district's Kulthipali village on Saturday when Bijay Pradhan went there to report on alleged irregularities in the construction of a guard wall.
The accused allegedly snatched Pradhan's mobile phone, microphone (boom) and other equipment. They also tied his hands and assaulted him in front of villagers, police said.
A video of the incident later went viral on social media.
Based on Pradhan's complaint at Puintala police station and video evidence, a case was registered and the four persons arrested, Bolangir SP Abhilash G told reporters.
The accused have been identified as Abhinash Dalai, Aditya Jena, Gumara Nayak, and a minor.
"We are suspecting the involvement of the contractor engaged in the work. We will arrest him too," the SP said.
Bolangir Reporter Bijay Pradhan of @badakhabarnews brutally attacked by corrupt contractor Gajendra Dalei for exposing corruption. Odisha govt must act now! Where is Odia Asmita? Stop attacks on journalists! #JusticeForBijayPradhan#OdiaAsmita pic.twitter.com/afVh6Wshpy
— Subhadip Chakrabarty🇮🇳 (@SubhadipOD) May 25, 2025
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Palakkad: Hotel owners hold protest march against gas price hike
Palakkad (Kerala) (PTI): Hotel and restaurant owners on Saturday held a protest march in Palakkad against the recent nearly Rs 1,000 hike in commercial gas cylinder prices.
The protesters marched through the town holding placards and images of gas cylinders. They also carried two cylinders on a stretcher with a wreath placed on top, according to visuals aired on television channels.
The hotel and restaurant owners contended that it would be difficult for them to sustain their businesses in view of the high cost of commercial gas cylinders.
They said that many of them had been forced to shut their establishments earlier due to the scarcity of commercial gas cylinders, and that most had only recently reopened.
“But the sudden increase in commercial gas cylinder prices has affected our operations,” the protesters said.
Similar concerns were raised by restaurant owners and workers from other parts of the state in response to queries from reporters.
The Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association had on Friday announced a statewide protest strike on May 6 against the Rs 993 hike in commercial LPG cylinder prices.
KHRA state president G Jayapal said that all hotels and restaurants across Kerala would remain shut on that day in protest against what he termed an “unfair” increase in LPG prices.
He added that over the past five months, the price of a single cylinder had increased by a total of Rs 1,498.
On May 6, establishments will remain closed, and protest marches and dharnas will be held in front of district headquarters and oil company offices, he said.
