A local court today granted bail to Odisha PCC vice-president Pradeep Majhi and 18 other Congressmen who were arrested for allegedly ransacking a forest range office and beat up an forest range officer during an agitation for land rights for tribals on June 25.
The 19 Congress activists, including Majhi, were arrested on the charge of ransacking the office of the forest ranger at Raighar while demanding land rights under Forest Rights Act.
The Assistant Sessions judge court, Umerkote, granted bail to them on production of a bailer and a personal bond of Rs 20,000 each.
However, they remained in the jail today due to non-completion of certain formalities.
On June 25, hundreds of Congressmen led by Majhi demanded settlement of forest lands in favour of tribals under Forest Rights Act. They took out a procession and while demonstrating at the forest range office at Raighar allegedly ransacked it and beat up the forest range officer.
The police arrested Majhi, Raighar block Congress president Jotindra Gond, Umerkote block Congress president P Ravana Rao, party Adivasi cell president Akhilo Bhatra and five others in connection with the incident.
Congress had in February, 2015 submitted a memorandum to the local tahasildar demanding early settlement of the forest lands in favour of those who had been residing there.
