58 cops injured in clash with tribals in Odisha
At least 70 people, including 58 security personnel, were injured on Tuesday in a clash with local tribals over the construction of a road to the Sijimali bauxite mine in Odisha's Rayagada district, officials said.
The tribals, who have been strongly opposing the road project at Shagabari village under Kashipur block of the district, allegedly attacked the police personnel and district administration officials with swords, axes, and stones. ADG (Law and Order) Sanjay Kumar said the injured police personnel were admitted to different hospitals in Rayagada and Visakhapatnam. He said some women personnel were also injured in the indiscriminate stone pelting by the mob. Rayagada SP Swathy S Kumar said a mob of around 250 villagers rounded up police personnel when they had gone to Kantamal village within the Kashipur police station area to arrest a person wanted in 14 criminal cases.
Sources said the accused person was one of the tribal leaders who opposed the road construction to the Sijimali mines. “Our personnel, including policewomen, were encircled and pelted with stones. In self-defence, we lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the mob and evacuated the injured,” Kumar said.
Six injured police personnel, including three women, were shifted to a hospital in Vishakhapatnam for better treatment. Injured officers included Rayagada SDPO Girishankar Sahu and Kashipur police station IC Dev Mallick.
Meanwhile, the district administration has imposed prohibitory orders at Shagabari village to maintain law and order, an official said, adding that additional police forces have also been deployed in the area.
Rayagada Collector Kulkarni Ashutosh C went to the spot and held discussions with the agitating tribals, an official said.
On the other hand, the 'Sachetan Nagarika Manch', the organisation fighting for the rights of tribals, claimed that 10 villagers were seriously injured in police action.
“Armed police personnel went to the village in the name of executing a non-bailable warrant and attacked the villagers. At least 10 people, including six women, were injured,” Manch leader Narendra Mohanty claimed.
In a letter to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the manch has sought his immediate intervention and demanded the immediate withdrawal of forces from the area.
They said local tribals are opposed to the construction of the road being constructed for a private mining company.
Mohanty said locals in the Kashipur area are opposed to the Sijimali bauxite mine project ever since the Odisha Government allotted it to a private company in 2023. The administration was facilitating the company to construct a road to the Sijimali bauxite mine.
CPI(M)'s Odisha unit secretary Suresh Panigrahi condemned the police action and the state Government's policy.
“We demand immediate withdrawal of prohibitory orders and forces from the place, release of anti-displacement leaders arrested earlier and stop of road construction,” Panigrahy said.
