Tension prevailed at Namatara village under the Rajkanika police station on Monday though more than 24 hours have been passed to the incident in which a mob attacked a police team and injured 12 police personnel, including a woman inspector, while being prevented from ransacking a licenced foreign liquor shop in the area on Sunday. The police later resorted to lathi charge and opened fire by injuring nine locals.
According to SP Satish Kumar Gajbhiye, though the situation is under control but two platoons of police were deployed in the locality to keep vigil. Three cases were registered at the Rajkanika police station over the incident. While the liquor shop owner has lodged an FIR, police registered two cases on the basis of complaints made by Rajkanika police station IIC Sandhyarani Behuria, who was injured in the mob attack.
liquor shop owner Krushna Chandra Parida alleged that about 1,500 people forcibly entered into his shop and looted liquor worth of Rs 6 lakh besides cash of Rs 2 lakh from his counter. Police registered a case under various Sections of IPC; Section 7 Criminal law Amendment Act and 3 of PDPP (Prevention and Destruction of Public Property) on the basis of Panda’s FIR.
IIC Behuria alleged that when she and her police team went to control the irate mob, the latter started pelting stone and attacked the police with sticks and whatever came to their hands. As a result, 13 police personnel sustained critical injuries. They also snatched away a camera after assaulting two local reporters. The mob also torched a police van.
The police arrested six persons for their involvement in the incident. They were identified as Satyabrata Rout, Abhaya Sethy, Bijay Jena, Nabaghan Sahu of Namatara village , Kusa Mallick of Kandia village and Rabindra Jena of Padanipal village. All the arrested persons were produced before the JMFC court of Aul on Monday.
Meanwhile, a team from the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) led by president Prasad Harichandan, comprising Srikanta Jena, Prakash Behera, Dolagobinda Nayak, Batakrushna Tripathy, Bijaylaxmi Sahu, Ganeswar Behera, Rajnagar MlA Ansuman Mohanty and Aul MlA Debendra Sharma paid a visit to the Namatara village and condemned the barbaric act of police.
Seven persons were undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack, stated MlA Sharma. The PCC demanded a judiciary inquiry into the incident and demanded free medical treatment and compensation to the injured. The Congress MlAs also informed that they would raise the issue in the Assembly demanding action against the errant police officials.
On the contrary, SP Gajbhiye rubbished the allegation that people were injured in police firing. Sources said, fearing arrest, several male members of the village have fled from their houses. Injured IIC Behuria, Constable Manjulata Senapati and Home Guard Damodar Padhi were referred to the SCB for further treatment.