In a major breakthrough, police on Wednesday arrested three IOCl land losers’ leaders from their native villages and forwarded them to court.
The arrested include anti-Posco leader Abhya Sahoo, former Zilla Parishad member Sarada Jena and Bipini Moharana.
Police sources confirmed that the trio was picked up from their native villages on Wednesday following their illegal involvement with IOCl stir and presented before Kujanga Court on Wednesday afternoon. The court remanded them in jail custody.
Soon after the news spread to Paradip, hundreds of activists including women under banner of Jamihara Ekata Krushak Mancha arrived at the IOCl plant site and resorted to dharana demanding immediate release of the leaders. They held a protest meeting there.
later, the agitators rushed to the Abhyachandpur Police Station inside IOCl premises and staged demonstration.
“We have launched a stir pressing for some longstanding demands in peaceful manner for the past two days. Meanwhile, the district administration and the IOCl authority on Tuesday had assured us to fulfill our demands after a meeting with our leaders. But strangely, the policed arrested our leaders with a motive to suppress our agitation,” said Mancha leader Prakash Tripathy.
Sources added that heavy security arrangements have been made inside the plant site. Four platoons of police force and CISF personnel have been deployed to avert any untoward incident.