The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the anticipatory bail application of Jayanarayan Mishra, an MLA from Odisha and a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in connection with accusations of assaulting a female police officer. The incident allegedly occurred during a protest outside the Sambalpur Collectorate in February 2022.
Justices Hrishikesh Roy and S V N Bhatti, presiding over the matter, dismissed Mishra’s plea, emphasizing the responsibility of public figures to exemplify appropriate conduct. “Those in leadership positions have to set an example for public behaviour,” the bench stated, underscoring the expectations from elected officials.
Mishra, represented by senior advocate Maninder Singh, faced allegations stemming from a BJP-led protest where he reportedly slapped a female police officer tasked with managing the crowd. The confrontation escalated when Mishra allegedly used offensive language, made inappropriate physical contact, and slapped the officer on the cheek.
The charges against Mishra are severe, including outraging the modesty of a woman, criminal intimidation, defamation, obscenity, wrongful restraint, and using criminal force against a public servant. Despite these accusations, Mishra has consistently denied any wrongdoing. He contends that it was the police officer who behaved aggressively towards him.
The incident, which reportedly took place in broad daylight and was captured on video, led to Mishra’s legal team arguing that custodial interrogation was unnecessary. However, following the rejection of his bail plea by the Orissa High Court on November 16, 2023, the Supreme Court was approached for relief.
Mishra has described the case as a politically motivated attack orchestrated by local rivals, particularly pointing fingers at the previous BJD government. “They (BJD) were in government and made a case against me under section 307 of IPC. This is totally politically motivated…,” Mishra stated to reporters.
