Odisha DWO suicide: Cong to pelt eggs at collector, PA, ITDA

Sambad English Bureau Published On : Feb 21, 2015 at 3:05 AM Updated On : Feb 21, 2015 at 3:07 AM

Reported by Ranjan Rath
Rayagada, Feb 20:

Perhaps encouraged by its ‘success’ in breaching Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s security and hurling eggs at his carcade on Thursday, the Odisha Congress on Friday announced it would pelt eggs, stones and chappal at Rayagada collector and PA, ITDA till they are arrested for abetting the suicide of DWO Dhaneswar Prusty.

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Pradeep Majhi and other Congress leaders handing over the FIR against collector Sashi Bhushan Padhi and PA, ITDA Gorachand Gamang to the police officer

“The District Congress Committee today decided to wage a non-cooperation and civil disobedience movement against the district administration till the district collector Sashi Bhushan Padhi and PA, ITDA Gorachang Gamang are arrested. The party has asked all its local leaders and workers in the district to pelt eggs, stones and throw sandals at these two officers wherever they go. Besides, the party has also decided to stage a two-day mass dharna in front of the collectorate from February 27. Prior to this, the party will also observe a 12-hour bandh in Gunupur, Bissamkatak and Muniguda. If the state government remains adamant, we will begin a fast-unto-death from February 28,” senior Congress leader and former Nabarangpur MP Pradip Majhi told reporters here.

Demanding the immediate arrest of these officers, who have been held responsible for Prusty’s suicide in the suicide note recovered from his residence, Majhi said as per the Abetment of Suicide Act under section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), police should have arrested them immediately.

“But leave alone arresting them, police have not yet interrogated these two officers who are out of the district headquarters since three days,” he pointed out.

As if to prove that it was not an empty threat, the party later lodged an FIR against these two officers in the Rayagada police station.

The Congress leader said the party is strongly opposed to the Crime Branch probe ordred into the suicide case as the state investigating agency is yet to nab the prime accused in the Itishree Pradhan murder case for more than a year.

“The people are aware of the intention of the state government, which wants to protect the accused by ordering a Crime Branch probe. We therefore, demand a CBI probe into the incident,” he added.

The fact that the state government has been ordering Crime Branch probe in every other case suggests that it does not have faith in the district police administration.