Villagers ask for body of a victim killed in Kalinganagar police clash

JAJPUR - Villagers in the Kalinganagar area in Orissa’s Jajpur District expressed their anger on Friday, asserting that they had not received the body of the villager killed in the police clash.

The area had turned into a war zone on Wednesday following a violent clash between the tribals opposing TATA Steel project and police force, which led to the death of one person and injury to 24, including 15 policemen.

The villagers said that a bullet fired by police hit 60-years-old Laxman Jamuda, a resident of Chandia village, resulting in his death.

a police bullet hit sixty-years-old Laxman Jamuda, a resident of Chandia village following which he died.he police, however, claimed that the locals attacked with bows and arrows and the police resorted to baton charge and firing of rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.

Leaders of Congress and Communist parties visited the villagers to take stock of the ground situation.

“We demand that we are handed over the body of our friend, who was killed in the clash with police, so that his family members can at least perform last rites,” said Babuli Jamunda, nephew of the deceased villager.

The police on the other hand said that they have handed over the body to the family members after the post mortem.

“What we gather is that they have cremated the body,” said D. S. Kuttey, superintendent of police, Jajpur district.

Kalinganagar is a stronghold of Visthapan Virodhi Jan Manch (VVJM), which has been spearheading the agitation against land acquisition for the Tata project. (ANI)