US EDITION
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

3 killed, 17 injured as police fire at fishermen

Three people were killed and 17 injured, three of them critically, when police opened fire at Sorana village, about 70 km from Bhubaneswar, last night to disperse a strong mob.

Official sources said police had to open fire as the mob, mostly comprising fishermen armed with lethal weapons, attacked a police party and freed 20 people from their custody who had been arrested in connection with the demolition of prawn gheries (farms) inside the Chilka lake.

Orissa Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang ordered a judicial inquiry and a sitting judge of Orissa High Court would be nominated for the purpose.

Earlier, the chief minister had ordered a high level administrative inquiry into the incident by the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (central range) and asked him to submit his report latest by today.

Gamang, who visited the hospital yesterday afternoon to see the injured villagers, announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 100,000 to the next of kin of those killed in the firing and Rs 20,000 each to those injured.

The chief minister described the police action as "most unfortunate" and asked the RDC to find out under what circumstances the police opened fire on the villagers.

Meanwhile, the state revenue minister, energy, health and family welfare minister, minister of state for home, director general of police and the home secretary visited the village for an on-the-spot investigation into the incident.

Official sources said while one person died on the spot in the village, two others succumbed to their bullet injuries on the way to the hospital yesterday morning.

Police said the situation in the village was still tense and at least nine platoons of police had been deployed in the village. Over 20 police personnel, including an additional superintendent of police, had been injured in the clash with the villagers.

Official sources said the inspector general and the deputy inspector general of police, Bhubaneswar range, were camping in the village along with other senior police officials.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report