ON WARPATH: People demonstrating in front of the police station at Hinjlicut on Thursday.

BERHAMPUR: Congress and CPI supporters picketed Hinjli police station in Ganjam district on Thursday demanding arrest of BJD MLA of Kavisuryanagar Ladu Kishore Swain in connection with a road accident. Mr Swain's car had reportedly hit a bike on NH 217 near Hinjli on Monday night. Two persons were killed in the accident while another was seriously injured. In a way it was a show of strength for Congress and CPI activists as Hinjli happens to be the constituency of BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

The agitators were led by chairperson of Sanakhemundi block Ramesh Jena, Youth Congress leader Dipak Patnaik and Ganjam Bar Association president Sudhansu Panda. The agitators took out a rally at Hinjli and gheraoed the police station. State general secretary of the CPI, Nityananda Pradhan also participated in the dharna.

The agitators demanded Rs 5 lakhs compensation for families of each of the victim killed in the accident and the government to bear the cost of treatment of the injured.

Mr Panda said the MLA should have been arrested by police as it was his vehicle that caused the accident and the MLA allegedly did not help the victims after the accident. He and Mr Patnaik demanded the resignation of Mr Swain from Assembly as he did not behave like a people's representative to help the accident victims.

The agitators also handed over a memorandum to the Additional District Magistrate of Ganjam district to hold discussions with the agitators. Deputy Superintendent of Police Ramkrupa Patnaik said police would take action only after investigation.

According to him a police team had already started investigating the accident and action would be initiated only after completion of investigation.

Bandh threat

But the agitators threatened to give a call for the district bandh if their demands of compensation for the accident victims and arrest of Mr Swain was not fulfilled.

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