Clash in Orissa’s Kalinganagar over land acquisition for Tata plant

KALINGANAGAR - Tension gripped Kalinganagar area in Orissa on Thursday following a clash between villagers and policemen over land acquisition for Tata Steel’s million-tonne steel project, in which one person was killed and about sixteen others injured.

The deceased has been identified as Laxman Jamuda, a 60-year-old resident of Chandia village.

The incident took place when some of the villagers displaced by the steel plant, and now staying in a rehabilitation centre, entered their village to take their household belongings under police protection.

The displaced villagers said the deceased was hit by a police bullet.

“When we saw the police chasing us, we ran away. At that time they started firing at us. One struck at the back of my uncle’s head and he died there,” said Babuli Jamunda, nephew of the deceased.

The police, however, claimed that villagers attacked with bows and arrows and the police resorted to baton charge and firing of rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.

They also claimed that the deceased, while trying to escape, fell down and died.

“After the unlawful crowd dispersed, one person was found to be injured. He was taken to the hospital, where he was declared dead. The post-mortem is yet to be conducted,” said D. S. Kuttey, Superintendent of Police, Kalinganagar.

Kalinganagar is a stronghold of Visthapan Virodhi Jan Manch (VVJM), which has been spearheading agitation against land acquisition for the Tata project ever since the killing of 14 ribals in police firing in January, 2006. (ANI)