Tension grips Odisha's Jajpur after 10 chopped palms found

Bhubaneswar, Nov 19: Some unknown persons stole 10 chopped palms, suspected to be of tribal people killed in 2006 police firing, and dumped them in the open in Kalinga Nagar area in Odisha's Jajpur after which the area is tensed, said reports.

Police had found five pairs of chopped palms, which were preserved in a medical box in a club near the site, Jajpur Superintendent of Police CS Meena said.

"On Saturday night, some miscreants broke the club's window and entered it. They took away the box containing the chopped palms and dumped them in the area," he said, according to a PTI report.

The tribal community members were killed during a protest against land acquisition for a steel plant in Kalinga Nagar in January 2006. At least 13 people were killed during the police firing.

"On Saturday night, some miscreants broke the club's window and entered it. They took away the box containing the chopped palms and dumped them in the area," he said.

So far, no formal complaint has been lodged in this regard, Meena said, adding that heavy police force has been deployed in the area to maintain strict vigil.

Doctors conducting post-mortem of the bodies had to cut the palms of five victims to obtain their fingerprints as they could not be identified, the police said.

The chopped palms were given to the family of the deceased a couple of years ago, but they refused to accept them and demanded a DNA test, they said.

Following this, they were preserved in the medical box and kept in the club, they said.

OneIndia News with PTI inputs