At least two persons were killed and four others were injured, one of them seriously in police firing at Khajapalli under Kodala police station limit in Ganjam district, about 60 km from here on Friday. Eight policemen including inspector in-charge (Ganjam), Sishir Mishra were injured when the villagers allegedly hurled bomb at them while they were going to clear a road block put up by the local villagers. Police, however, confirmed the death of only one person in the firing.
The villagers staged road block for second consecutive day today protesting the arrest of 45 persons allegedly involved in Wednesday’s riot at Kodala, where two persons were killed and several houses were damaged. “Police opened fire when the villagers attacked the policemen with crude bombs” said DIG (southern range) RK Sharma.
While one person died on the spot, another succumbed to his injury later on way to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital here. Meanwhile, the state government announced Rs two lakh compensation to the family of the deceased who died in the police firing. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who reviewed the situation in a high level meeting at the secretariat, asked the director general of police (DGP) to rush to the trouble-torn area. The government also order for the administrative inquiry by the revenue divisional commissioner (southern division) on the incident.
