Jharsuguda observes bandh to protest arrest of traders by Odisha police

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Jharsuguda, Dec 11:

Shops, commercial establishments, schools, colleges and other educational institutions downed their shutters today in response to a shut down call to protest against police action in the western Odisha district headquarters town of Jharsuguda.

Vehicular traffic too has remained off the roads putting commuters unaware of the bandh call in great trouble. Palpable tension prevails in the town following clashes between two rival groups yesterday.

Prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Cr Pc have been clamped by the police to maintain law and order in the town.

Six platoons of policemen have been deployed in the town to prevent occurrence of any untoward incident during the shutdown.

The bandh call has been given in protest against the arrest of six persons by the police in connection with the clashes yesterday. The town’s traders’ association had protested against the arrests by the police by blocking the main road in the evening. Police has also arrested some of the agitators.

“Our boys have been arrested in cases, which are six years old. This is against the Supreme Court orders. We want their immediate release. They have been wrongly arrested by the police. The wrong doers should have been arrested,” said local businessman Dinesh Jain.

“They have arrested the wrong persons instead of arresting the real culprits. We want their immediate release,” said another local businessman.

“Two rival business communities had clashed and we have arrested some people in that connection. Since some of them belong to the merchants’ association, they had blocked the main road yesterday. We have arrested some people for that and they are observing a shutdown in protest,” said Jharsuguda SP S Shyni.