AT least 65 persons have been arrested by Bargarh Police for their alleged involvement in two separate cases of arson and road blockade on Thursday. On February 19, 48 persons including 20 women had set a police station on fire over death of a boy and subsequently, 17 more persons had staged road blockade over the same issue. All of them were produced in the court of the Additional District Judge and remanded in judicial custody.
A four-year-old boy Piyush Jain went missing mysteriously while playing outside his home at Melchhamunda on February 8. Although his family members searched for him, they could not find Piyush and lodged a missing complaint with Melchhamunda police station. Police had formed a squad to trace the child till his decomposed body was recovered from Kalangadera near Para village under Bijepur police limits in the district on February 18.
Situation flared up on February 19 when the body of the child reached Melchamunda. An irate mob torched the Melchamuda police station and two police vehicles accusing cops of inaction and demanding the arrest of the accused involved in the crime. Later, they resorted to blockade of road connecting Sohela with Padmapur, part of the Biju Expressway at Melchhamunda, holding back the body.
Padampur SDPO, Laxmi Narayan Panda said while the 48 arrested have been charged under section 147/148/395/342/294/353/336/307/506 of IPC besides 7 Criminal Law Amendment Act, 3 PDPP Act, 3 SC/ST Act; the 17 persons arrested for road blockade have been booked under section 143/283/147/149 IPC and 7 7 Criminal Law Amendment Act.
