90 arrested for Ganjam killings

Two days after a mob of over 200 people burnt alive eight persons,including a woman working for a stone crusher unit in Chief Minister Naveen Patnaiks Assembly constituency.

Two days after a mob of over 200 people burnt alive eight persons,including a woman working for a stone crusher unit in Chief Minister Naveen Patnaiks Assembly constituency,Hinjilicut of Ganjam district,the police on Sunday arrested 90 people for their role in the gruesome murder. However,the main accused,Kalia Pradhan,a former member of the Sheragada panchayat samiti,and another co-conspirator continued to be at large.

The police said they have forwarded 83 of the arrested people to a local court and will send seven others to the court on Monday.

Sub-divisional police officer Binod Kamila said that more people will be arrested soon,but did not comment on the possible reason behind the murder.

The local villagers on Sunday blocked Sheragada-Badagada road,protesting the arrests. Residents of nearby villages in Kulagada gram panchayat of Sheragada block also participated in the dharna.

The eight persons,including owners and operators of a stone crushing unit on a hill near Badagada village under Sheragada block of Ganjam,were charred to death around 8 pm on April 29. A mob from Badagada chased the three owners and five others,forcing them to lock themselves in a concrete shed. They could not escape the mob as the huge amount of diesel and ammonium nitrate used for blasting rocks caught fire after villagers threw burnt tyres and crackers into the room,which charred all of them. So far,five bodies have been identified and handed over to their relatives.

Police and district officials said that business rivalry may not be the reason behind the incident. The crusher licence for the one at Badagada was auctioned a few days ago for Rs 10,000 only. Besides,stone chips and powdered stones from the crusher dont have a big market in the area, said an official. Instead,investigating officials are examining the allegations that one of the crusher owner,who was burnt alive by the mob,reportedly molested two girls from the village,but no FIR was lodged with the local police station.

No one would kill people merely over business rivalry. It is possible the people were agitated over the molestation incident and waited for an opportunity to teach the crusher owners a lesson. The killings seem to be driven by revenge. We will get a clearer picture in the next couple of days, said an investigating official. Interestingly,no one from Badagada has lodged an FIR in the last two years.