Vishal Das, the son of Odisha’s former minister Naba Das, along with 27 others, was detained by Chhattisgarh police on Thursday night. The detainees, including sarpanchs and panchayat committee members, were reportedly held across multiple police stations, allegedly to prevent their participation in a no-confidence motion scheduled for Friday.

The matter escalated when an FIR was filed against Vishal Das and others for vandalising a BJP leader’s hotel. However, hours later, they were all released. The incident has sparked allegations of political interference, with Das accusing authorities of orchestrating the detentions to obstruct the democratic process.

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The detention occurred just before a no-confidence vote against the Kirimira block president in Odisha. Vishal Das, who was on a tour with local leaders in Mahasamund in Chhattisgarh, claimed the police action was deliberate. “This is an attack on democracy. We were detained illegally to prevent our participation in the vote,” Das stated in a video message from custody. He further alleged threat to his life and called for intervention against what he termed as “undemocratic actions” by the BJP governments in Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

The situation intensified in Jharsuguda as Vishal’s sister and former MLA Deepali Das led a massive protest, demanding his release. Hundreds of supporters besieged the district collectorate, chanting slogans against the BJP.

Odisha’s former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Naveen Patnaik, stepped in, writing an urgent letter to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai. Patnaik demanded the immediate release of Vishal Das and his associates, highlighting that several women members of Panchayati Raj Institutions were also detained. The letter read, “Sarapanch and committee members were scheduled to participate in a no-confidence motion at 10:30 am on Friday but were detained overnight. I urge you to ensure their release and provide adequate security during their return to Odisha.”

Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh police stated that the FIR was filed based on a complaint from the manager of a BJP leader’s hotel. The FIR named 12 individuals and mentioned 10-15 unidentified persons for the alleged vandalism. However, all detained individuals were released by Friday evening.

The entire episode has drawn sharp criticism, with political observers questioning the timing of the police action. Vishal Das’s video from custody, where he appealed for support and alleged democratic suppression, has further fuelled tensions.

While the group returned to Odisha, one of the detained sarpanchs, Tapi Marai from Vanpali, narrated the ordeal. “We were on a tour when police from Laykara detained us at midnight, intimidated us, and handed us over to Chhattisgarh police. We were unaware that this was a detention to prevent our participation in the no-confidence vote.”