Kalinga Nagar tense as one more tribal dies

Bhubaneswar, Mar 11 (UNI) Tension prevailed in Kalinga Nagar in Orissa's Jajpur district as one tribal injured in January 2 police firing succumbed to his injuries in New Delhi today.

The district administration has mobilised additional four platoons of police forces apprehending law and order problem in the area following the death.

Police said Shyam Gagrai injured in the Police firing died at a hospital in New Delhi. He was shifted from the S C B Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack to Delhi in January 18 as his condition became critical.

The body of Gagrai was flown in from Delhi to Bhubaneswar and then taken by road to Kalinga Nagar for final cremation. With the death of Gargai, the toll in police tribal clash at Kalinga Nagar rose to 14.

While 12 tribals were killed in police firing during a protest demonstration at the Kalinga Nagar Industrial Complex on January 2 against the construction of a boundary wall of the proposed steel plant by Tatas, one police constable was hacked to death by the violent tribals.

The state government had already ordered a judicial probe into the incident by a sitting judge of Orissa High Court and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the next kins of those killed in police firing.

The agitated tribals, however, refused to accept the compensation and are on an indefinite road blackade on the National Highway since January 2 on seven point charter of demands which included among other things the resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Finance Minister P C Ghadei and criminal case against the District Collector and the Superintendent of Police.

Police said so far, no untoward incident had been reported from the trouble-torn Kalinga Nagar.

UNI DP TJP/PK RK2120