Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Dhenkanal, Jan 29:

Angry villagers locked the main gate of Bhushan Steel Limited's plant at Meramundali in Odisha's Dhenkanal district after security personnel fired and critically injured two children bathing in a pond close to the plant premises today.

( source: telegraphindia.com) ( source: telegraphindia.com)

The two injured have been identified as Manoj Naik and Laxmidhar Naik. While one has been admitted to a private nursing home, the other has been shifted to the government hospital at Angul.

"We were bathing in the pond when the security personnel of Bhshan fired on us without any provocation," said Laxmidhar, one of the injured. There were six children out of whom three were injured in the firing, he added.

On getting information about the firing, villagers rushed to the place and locked up the main gate of the plant and staged a blockade. Tension prevailed at the site for quite some time as the protesters demanded action against the culprits and compenstaion to the victims of the firing.

Normalcy was restored only after police arrived on the scene and took three security personnel, including the one who allegedly pulled the trigger, into custody.

"We have taken three persons into custody and are questioning them to ascertain the circumstances in which the firing took place," Meramundali IIC Jitendra Kumar Sahu said.

There has been no official word on the incident from Bhushan Steel Limited.