Cuttack: The Orissa High Court Thursday directed the Home department of the state government to file a status report in connection with the baton charge on unarmed agitators by police during land acquisition for a steel plant at Dhinkia in Jagatsinghpur district January 14.
A division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar also asked the Home department to send essential commodities to Dhinkia while taking up two PILs in connection with the alleged police brutality.
Several villagers of Dhinkia, including women and children, were allegedly injured in the baton charge while they were opposing land acquisition for a steel plant of JSW company.
The villagers alleged that the eviction drive was carried out without any consultation with the betel farmers. Protesting the alleged police brutality, lawyer Khirod Rout and others filed two separate PILs in the HC.
The Chief Secretary, revenue department secretary, JSW company, Jagatsinghpur SP and Erasama Tehsildar have been made parities to the cases.
The petitioners pleaded for the immediate withdrawal of police force from Dhinkia and an impartial probe into the incident.
They also sought the HC intervention for immediate release of the arrested agitators and withdrawal of the cases registered against the locals.
The petitioners urged the court to take the necessary steps for providing appropriate compensation to the injured villagers.
PNN