Tension prevailed as members of the Zilla Adivasi Kalyan Sangha gheraoed the district Collector’s office and staged a road blockade here on Wednesday, demanding arrest of Patnagarh MLA Saroj Meher and others for forcing Junior Engineer Jayant Sabar, who belongs to ST category, to do sit-ups at Gambhari village on June 5.
Tribals wearing traditional attire and holding weapons led by Sangha president Braja Kishore Singh Bhoi, Paschim Odisha Adivasi Kalyan Sangha secretary Niranjan Bisi and Satyanarayan Bhoi came in a rally from Kosal Kala Mandal to the Collectorate.
“We demand arrest of MLA Saroj Meher in 24 hours. Though a case has been registered in the Patnagarh police station, why the MLA has not been arrested yet,” wanted to know Bisi.
He demanded that the Chief Minister sack the MLA and threatened to intensify the agitation if the demands are not met soon.
A scuffle erupted between agitators and police as the latter stopped them from entering the Collector’s office forcibly. A policeman fell down in the scuffle.
Later a delegation of tribal leaders met district Collector Arindam Dakua and submitted a four-point memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The other two demands include arrest of PWD engineer Loknath Mishra who slapped Sabar in public and provision of security to family members of the JE.
The Collector said the tribal leaders discussed with him about the progress made in the incident. An FIR has been registered and investigation is on, he said.