Odisha Police Association (OPA) today threatned to launch an agitation if action was taken against the Special Operation Group (SOG) jawans before completion of investigation.
The development comes after National Commission for Scheduled Tribe (NCST) held SOG jawans responsible for the killing of five tribals during anti-Maoist operation in Kandhamal.
"We will stand solidly behind the jawans of Special Operation Group (SOG). If the government takes any arbitary action against any SOG jawan before completion of the investigation, we will go for agitation," OPA President Anup Kanungo told reporters here.
Terming the incident as "unfortunate," Kanungo claimed that it was an accident.
"Odisha Police do not indulge in any such action. Our people were doing their duty. It was an accident. Please do not politicise it," he said.
After meeting the victims' family members, senior police officers and Kandhamal district administration, NCST Chairman Rameshwar Oraon claimed that the personnel involved in the killings should face murder charge as they opened fire without any provocation.
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Opposition Congress and BJP have also demanded action against the DGP and Kandhamal district SP for the Friday night incident.
They also demanded initiation of case under section 302 of IPC against the police personnel who "opened fire on innocent people", including women and a child.
Apart from a SIT probe, the state government has also announced a judicial enquiry into the incident.
Meanwhile, a notification issued by the Home Department said Additional Director General, Human Rights Protection Cell (HRPC) Mahendra Pratap will supervise the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into Kandhamal incident.
"DGP has been asked to set up the SIT and assign the supervision of the investigation to ADG Mahendra Pratap," Special Secretary, Home, Lalit Das told reporters after the department formally issued a notification in this regard.
Das said the DGP is free to set up the team(s) for the purpose. "The DGP will decide the number of members in the SIT and also number of teams to be set up," Das said adding Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had earlier ordered setting up of SIT to probe into the incident.
While the home department notification said that ADG, HRPC will supervise the SIT probe, opposition Congress demanded that SIT probe should be monitored by the High Court.
"Unless the High Court monitors the probe, there is no guarantee that the people can get justice," Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra said.
