Summary:
Cuttack, Jan 20 (PTI) The Orissa High Court on Thursday said police excesses must be stopped immediately at Dhinkia, the site of the proposed JSW steel plant, and directed the state government to submit to it a status report on the situation there after the Jagatsinghpur district collector failed to do so.
The status report should be submitted by a senior officer of the home department and detail the ground realities of the area with reference to the grievances mentioned in two PILs filled by a local woman and three advocates alleging police atrocities on villagers who had protested against the demolition of their betel vines.
“Police excesses, highhandedness and brutality in any form by the local police have to be immediately stopped”, a division bench headed by Chief Justice S Muralidhar said after hearing the petitioners’ advocates.
The bench directed Advocate General Ashok Kumar Parija to ensure that the status report is filed in the form of an affidavit and posted the matter for hearing again on January 31.
The advocate general, who appeared in person during the analogous hearing of the two PILs, informed the Court through memo about the present situation at Dhinkia village and denied the allegations leveled against the district administration, particularly against the district police.
He also informed the Court that a steel and a cement plant would come up in the area, which would immensely boost its economic condition.