Cuttack, Dec 7 (PTI) A Congress MLA of Odisha on Monday served a legal notice to BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra and threatened criminal defamation against him if he does not immediately apologise publicly for allegedly tarnishing the legislator's image.

The Barabati-Cuttack Congress MLA Md Moquim sent the legal notice through Supreme Court advocate Shashwat Singh.

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Patra had reportedly told a section of the media on December 1 that all the nine Congress MLAs of Odisha had appropriated money from the ruling BJD to maintain silence in the sensational kidnap and murder of a minor girl of Nayagarh district and to support BJD minister Arun Kumar Sahoo, who is alleged to be giving protection to the accused in the case.

Patra was not immediately available for comment. PTI

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