Post News Network
Anandapur/Ghasipura, July 8: Cracking down on protesters who fought a pitched battle with the police and administrative officials at Belabahali in Keonjhar district, Ghasipura police Tuesday night booked about 99 agitators under various sections of the IPC.
Meanwhile, revenue divisional commissioner (Northern range) NBS Rajput Wednesday visited the proposed bridge site to take stock of the situation, sources said. In a press statement, Rajput said the bridge would be definitely taken up at the proposed site.
On the other hand, hundreds of local people supporting the project met the RDC at Shalapada inspection bungalow and submitted a memorandum to him. They threatened to launch an agitation if construction work is not carried out in seven days.
The arrested persons including 36 women were sent to jail Wednesday after they were produced in a court. However, the people opposing the project blamed the police for the violent clash. They alleged the police had laid siege to the village road in the wee hours of Tuesday and forcibly arrested some women going to the nearby river. They argued that it would have been wise on part of the police to arrest women if the latter had gathered there on purpose and protested at the bridge site.
The villagers said the forcible arrests led to the situation spiraling out of control and culminating in the clash.
Many local leaders met the arrested persons at Ghasipura police station Tuesday evening and held discussions with the police and administration officials for the protesters’ release.
According to reports, at least 20 people including administrative officials and the police were injured during the clash. The agitators detained Anandapur BDO Sunil Kumar Kerketa, one of the designated magistrates, along with his Ghasipura counterpart Suranjan Sahu in the local panchayat office. Sahu somehow managed to escape, but Kerketa got stuck for about five hours and was beaten up black and blue. Ghasipura ASI Saiprabha Rout and Anandapur ASI Mamata Patnaik also sustained grievous injuries in stone pelting. Besides, two police officials were left unconscious after the attack while the uniform of SP Kabita Jalan was torn off during the clash.
It was learnt that some people of Belabahali were angry over the efforts of the administration to construct a bridge at a disputed site on river Kusei as part of the expansion of National Highway-215.
“A large number of residents confronted the police force already deployed in the area,” said Anandapur sub-collector Maheswar Swain. When the police personnel tried to disperse the protesters, the villagers fought a pitched battle with the former pelting stones and attacking with sticks, Swain said. The agitators also torched some vehicles, equipment and a camp office of the construction company engaged in the project, the sub-collector added. Police had to resort to lathicharge and fire tear gas to control the unruly mob.
SP Jalan said prohibitory order under CrPC Section 144 was clamped in the area as the situation turned tense and violent after the attack on police and administrative officials.