Tension prevailed in the Jalda area here as hundreds of tribals gheraoed the Jalda Police outpost on Thursday protesting the death of a local youth due to police beating.
They demanded compensation of `20 lakh to the deceased and judicial inquiry into the case. They also gave a deadline to the police to arrest the guilty by November 2.
As per an FIR lodged by the sister of the deceased Krishna Badaik (25), a daily wager of Upper Balijodi under Jalda police outpost, in the midnight on Tuesday police officials of Jalda outpost had entered into the house of Krishna and beaten him to death.
As per the allegation in the FIR, on Tuesday at around 11 50 pm, about 15 police personnel had entered into Upper Balijodi slum area and rebuked the residents in filthy languages. Thereafter they had returned and after half an hour again the police personnel raided the same area and had entered into the house of Krishna. Krishna’s sister Kalabati had stumbled upon the body of Krishna the next morning.
Soon the incident created outrage among the residents who under the leadership of Biramitrapur MlA George Tirkey warned that body of Krishna would not be lifted until action against the guilty police official was taken.
later, hundreds of tribals under the leadership of Birmitrapur MlA Tirkey and former Raghunathpalli MlA Halu gheraoed Jalda outpost.
However, police rubbished the allegation. According to police, they had gone to Upper Balijodi slum area to search some accused in connection with the case of a factory boundary wall breaking case. They said police did not go to Krishna’s house.
“It is a baseless allegation that police beat Krishna to death,” said Rourkela ASP SC Jamadar. He added that the case was being investigated and action would be taken against the guilty. c