At least one person was killed and 17 others includng 15 security personnel injured when police opened fire to disperse angry villagers demanding arrest of culprits involved in murder of four persons on Saturday, attacked a police outpost in Odisha's Nayagarh district today.
The police and the villagers entered into a pitched battle as the security personnel tried to evict the agitators who were sitting on dharna near the police outpost demanding arrest of the culprits involved in the the killing of four members of a family at Shastri Nagar area in Chandpur on September 6.
"One person succumbed and a man sustained bullet injuries in the police firing incident. Another person was injured in lathicharge," Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjeev Marik told reporters adding that 15 security personnel were also injured in the attack by a mob.
"The police opened fire as the question of life of the people there at the police outpost was in danger. The police had no alternative than opening fire," Marik said while justifying the police action.
The DGP said the seriously injured persons were shifted to the state capital and Cuttack for better treatment.
Claiming that the police opened fire after resorting to lathicharge and lobbying tear gas, Marik said the angry people pelted stones on the police outpost where the senior officials were discussing on the law and order situation.
The victim of the police firing has been identified as one Kartik Behera of Tangi area in Khurda district.
On Saturday night, four members of a family including two children were found murdered inside their house at Shastri Nagar in Chandpur under Ranpur police station limits in Nayagarh district.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of the deceased Behera who died in the police firing. The state government will bear the medical expense of the injured persons, an official release said.
"The district police has utterly failed to nab the criminals and instead opened fire on the people who demanded justice," samajwadi Party state president Rabi Behera said in a statement.
