No witnesses at Kandhamal riot commission

Despite heavy security arrangements, no witness turned up on Wednesday to depose before Justice Basudev Panigrahi Commission probing the 2007 communal riots in Orissa's Kandhamal district.
      
Justice Panigrahi, a retired judge of Orissa High Court, waited till evening to record the statements of the seven witnesses who were issued notices to be present before the commission during the day. The seven are residents of Brahmanigaon village that witnessed large scale violence during the riots.
      
"Though police had sent vehicles to escort witnesses, none came to depose before the commission," an official said,
adding

that the commission has postponed the hearing for Thursday.
       
Notices were issued to 28 persons to depose before the commission, which is scheduled to record statements of victims at Udaygiri on February 27 and 28, they said.
      
Though the commission had earlier issued notices to different persons, none had turned up for the hearing at
Phulbani, citing the distance factor. The venue was therefore shifted to Daringbadi and Udayagiri this time, the sources said.