Other States - Orissa   

Scribes face police constables’ ire

Photo: PTI

Audacious attack: A security man looks at the damaged vehicle of the Special Operation Group in Malkangiri on Thursday. —

BERHAMPUR: The panic, agony, sorrow and dissatisfaction of the policemen posted in naxal-infested Malkangiri district in Orissa showed up in the form of unruly violent acts by the constables at the district police headquarter on Thursday.

The constables became unruly during solemn ceremony organised near the martyrs’ memorial inside the district police headquarter premises. They attacked some newsmen from Andhra Pradesh, ransacked their vehicles and damaged their cameras. The bodies of all the 17 policemen killed in the landmine blast by naxals near MV-126 village were brought to the spot for the presentation of guard of honour in presence of the local S.P. Satish Kumar Gajbhiye . Hundreds of inhabitants of Malkangiri town had also reached the spot. In this grave moment of sorrow the police constables could not restrain their emotions.

They became vocal and demanded Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to come over to Malkangiri immediately and introspect into rising naxal violence in the district. They also expressed their ire that the policemen were being made scapegoats in the hands of Maoists due to faulty policies of the Government.

Malkangiri has witnessed a severe onslaught of naxals twice in the past few days in which around 54 policemen have been killed.

The irate constables did not allow the south-western range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Sanjeev Kumar Panda to pay his last respect to the deceased policemen who were being paid last tribute.

The journalists who had gathered up to witness the guard of honour being paid to the killed police jawans faced the rage of irked constables when they tried to take photographs of the scene. There were also journalists from adjoining Andhra Pradesh and Chhatisgarh along with the local scribes. The constables attacked the journalists and chased them away from the spot. The vehicles and cameras of some journalists were damaged by them.

But understanding their mental condition the journalists did not register any FIR against the constables. The journalists of Koraput condemned the attack by policemen.

After presentation of guard of honour arrangements were made to transport the bodies of 17 policemen to their families. Thirteen of them were from Malkangiri district and their bodies handed over to their family members who were present there. The bodies of rest of the four jawans were sent to their family members by police vehicles.

All business establishments of Malkangiri town remained closed as a mark of respect to the deceased police personnel most of whom were residents of the district. Meanwhile, the CRPF personnel have started combing operation near MV-126 where the naxals blasted the landmine to kill the policemen on Wednesday.

Some live grenades left behind by the naxals were also located near the culvert at M.V-126 where the massive blast had occurred to destroy the anti-landmine vehicle in which the policemen were travelling.

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