New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a pre-arrest bail plea of Odisha MLA and BJP leader Jayanarayan Mishra, accused of slapping a female police officer during a protest outside Sambalpur Collectorate in 2022.
The apex court said, "Those in leadership positions have to set an example for public behaviour”.
The matter came up before a bench comprising Justices Hrishikesh Roy and S V N Bhatti. Declining to entertain the petition, the bench said that at the relevant time, the petitioner was the Leader of the Opposition and he is currently a member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly.
"Those in leadership positions have to set an example for public behaviour," said the bench, adding that the allegations are serious and would require a professional investigation by the police. The bench observed that the investigation might be prejudiced in the event of granting anticipatory bail to the petitioner.
Mishra's plea contended that the case was politically motivated, and claimed that local adversaries orchestrated the charges to damage his reputation.
It has been alleged that Mishra used profane language and slapped the officer on the cheek. The incident occurred in February 2022 when a BJP-led protest was held outside the Sambalpur Collectorate. During the protest, which involved a sit-in demonstration by BJP supporters, Mishra allegedly assaulted the female police officer after she approached him to control the advancing crowd. He had denied any wrongdoing, claiming that the officer was the one who acted aggressively against him.
