Kujang: A group clash erupted at Dhinkia village under Erasama block in Jagatsinghpur district during the visit of a 5-member advocates’ committee of Orissa High Court Saturday.
A social activist and a leader, who also visited the place, were reportedly heckled in presence of the police and the committee members.
The committee members were discussing with some villagers at Phulakhai temple shrine when a zilla parishad candidate Pinaki Das and his supporter Manas Ranjan Das coming in a rally, a local Pramod Satpathy and his family members and the kin of the jailed leaders tried to barge inside the shrine and meet the committee members. The ZP candidate and his supporter left the place after some villagers opposed their bid.
However, Manas Kar, Deba Swain and Pramod Satpathy with some of the female members of his family tried to forcefully enter the temple.
The villagers prevented them stating that the committee members are here only to meet the villagers and not anyone else.
However, Manas and others refused to listen to them, which led to a scuffle. The villagers brutally thrashed Pramod when he tried to enter the temple forcefully.
Two women and three children were also injured in the incident. The situation was brought under control after police intervened.
The committee visited Dhinkia Saturday to probe the alleged police atrocities committed on the villagers who are opposing land acquisition for a proposed steel plant by Jindal Steel Works (JSW).
The committee members later, went around the village where the villagers alleged that they have failed to lead a normal life due to police excess.
The committee members later called the Abhayachandpur IIC Jibanananda Jena and asked him not to arrest or harass anyone till the next date of hearing in High Court, February 23.
It is pertinent to mention here that three separate petitions have been filed in the High Court seeking an independent and impartial probe into the police excesses on the locals at Dhinkia village following the clash between police and Dhikia villagers during land acquisition for the proposed JSW project, January 14 and latter.
On January 20, a division bench of the High Court comprising of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice RK Patnaik, while conducting a hearing on the PIL filed by one Kuni Mallick and four others seeking a probe by a committee comprising a retired Judge of the High Court, social activists and members of the civil society into the police atrocities committed on the residents of Dhinkia, directed the State government to file its counter in the matter.
On January 31, Jagatsinghpur Collector filed a status report in the Orissa High Court on the ground situation in Dhinkia village. Subsequently, the High Court had asked the petitioners to file their counter to the status report submitted by the government.
Notably, Dhinkia village is the proposed site of a 13.2 million tonne per annum integrated steel plant by JSW. During land acquisition for the proposed JSW project January 14 at Dhinkia village, a face-off between the villagers and police had left more than two dozen villagers and five policemen injured.
PNN