Other States - Orissa

Plea to retain Central forces

BHUBANESWAR: As sporadic violence continued to be reported from interior areas of riot-hit Kandhamal district of Orissa, the State Government on Monday requested the Centre to allow it to retain 40 companies of Central para-military forces to maintain law and order.

The decision to retain the Central forces till October-end was taken after the law and order situation in Kandhamal and other parts of the State was reviewed at a high-level meeting.

Four persons were killed in police firing and 10 injured at Kurtamgarh village of Kandhamal on Saturday.

Police retaliated when one of the members of a 300-strong mob opened fire at them injuring a CRPF jawan.

The mob attacked the police when the later tried to prevent them from attacking some Christian families in Kurtamgarh.

The residents of the village have since fled their homes out of fear.

While two bodies of the police firing victims were traced on Saturday, one was recovered on Sunday, and another on Monday morning.

In another incident, police also recovered the body of a man who had been killed in G. Udaygiri area of Kandhamal.

The victim, who had taken shelter in a relief camp at G. Udaygiri town, had gone to his village on September 10, but did not return.

His body, packed in a gunny bag, was found floating in a reservoir on Sunday evening. Over 22,000 people, mostly Christians, have been living in as many as 14 relief camps that the administration had opened in Kandhamal in the wake of the communal violence that started following the killing of VHP leader Swami Lakshmanananda on August 23.

As situation continues to remain, night curfew continues in as many as eight places of the district. Prohibitory orders were in force in the entire district. Meanwhile, the Kandhamal district administration denied permission to some voluntary organisations to enter the district to distribute relief among the violence-affected population.

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