Freedom fighter’s kin protest in Odisha for missing son

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Jeypore, Apr 22:

Six days after grandson of freedom fighter Laxmi Indira Panda was missing from Bhubaneswar railway station after being separated from his parents following felicitation ceremony at Raj Bhawan, her family today staged a dharna in front of Sub-Collector’s residence office at Jeypore in Odisha.

The family members demanded the district administration for safe return of Babula Panda to hometown Jeypore.

Babula Panda, grandson of veteran freedom fighter Laxmi Indira Panda and son of Surendra Panda and Sujata Panda, is still untraceable. He went missing from his parents at Bhubaneswar railway station after the family was separated from each other on Sunday.

The family was invited to be felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the descendants of freedom fighter during a programme held at Raj Bhawan on April 16.

Sujata had wrongly boarded a Haridwar- bound Utkal Express when she lost contact with her husband Surendra Panda and son at Bhubaneswar railway station to return her hometown Jeypore. She was rescued in Balasore on Monday midnight.

Odisha government had directed the officials to make arrangements for her safe return to hometown Jeypore.

Balasore district welfare officer Kamalkant Behera and woman constable Laxmi Mani Panda had escorted Sujata to Jeypore safely from Balasore on April 19. She reached home on April 20.