Paradip (Orissa): Police were keeping vigil at localities in Posco`s proposed plant site near here following the arrests of a local Congress leader and a supporter of the anti-project group.
Jayant Biswal was held on the basis of an FIR filed by
the contractor, police said adding that Biswal was among the
four against whom a complaint had been lodged in connection
with the killing of a man on the half-built coastal road
linking Paradip and Posco`s proposed plant site area.
Besides Biswal, former CPI MLA Narayan Reddy, Posco
Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) Secretary Sisir Mohapatra and
PPSS` women wing chief Manorama Khatua were named in the two
FIRs.
While one FIR had been lodged by Judhistir Swain, the
brother of deceased D Swain, another FIR had been filed by
Bapi Sarkel, the contractor who engaged workers in road
construction work.
The police also recorded another FIR by one Mounabati
Das, a resident of Gobbindpur and an activist of the PPSS. Das
had named Bapi Sarkel, Babuli Ray, Papu Mohanty, Sashank
Acharya alias Theku and Raka.
Reddy, who was leading the PPSS after arrest of its
President Abhay Sahu on November 25, alleged that musclemen
hired by the contractor threatened people opposing the
project.
With tension mounting in the area, police today
deployed about 300 personnel at different places of the
proposed plant site area.
Protesting yesterday`s violence, six non-BJD parties
today held a meeting at `Patana Haat`. The parties involved in
the protest meeting included Congress, CPI, and CPI(M).
While anti-Posco brigade under the banner of PPSS had
been staging agitation protesting yesterday`s violence,
local people blocked NH-5 (A) and Cuttack-Paradip Road halting
communication to the port town.
Local people are demanding adequate ex-gratia to
the family of Swain who was killed in yesterday’s violence.
PTI
