Congress leader held in Posco tragedy
The Kujang Police on Thursday arrested Congress leader Jayant Biswal for his alleged involvement in the violence between the supporters and opponents of the Posco project near Paradip in which one person was killed and 25 others were injured.
“One accused Jayant Biswal, who is involved in the murder case (at Posco construction site) has been arrested by Kujang police from Cuttack on Thursday and the police is trying to nab other culprits. The situation is normal there,” S.Devdatta Singh, Superintendent of Police of Jagatisinghpur said.
A road construction site for the proposed Posco steel plant turned war zone Wednesday amid violence and bombardment between the project supporters and protesters, resulting in death of a worker of the road contractor Paradeep Parivahan Private Ltd (PPPL).
Yudhister Swain, the brother of the deceased, has lodged an FIR in Kujang police station against former legislator and CPI leader Narayan Reddy, Congress leader Jayant Biswal, Posco Pratirodh Sangaram Samiti (PPSS) activist Sisir Mohapatra and Manorama Khatua .
Meanwhile, thousands of people under the banner of Kujang- Paradip Citizen Forum blocked Cuttack- Paradip and Paradip-Chandikhole highway on Thursday at Bhutmundei demanding the arrest of Priyabrata Patnaik , the chairman-cum-managing director of Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco), which is the state-run agency responsible for the land acquisition of the Posco project.
The forum also demanded arrest of Bapi Sarkhel, the chairman of Paradip-Erasama Industrial Development Council, citing the members of the council present at the construction site caused violence.
The construction work at the place has been stopped and the district administration has deployed five platoons of police at the trouble spot.