Puri: District superintendent of police (SP) Sarthak Sarangi Saturday ordered a probe into the alleged police assault on working journalists during the ransacking of a petrol pump by a mob here Friday.
Collector Jyoti Prakash Das also condemned the police attack.
A mob had ransacked a petrol pump near Hospital Square in the Holy City over alleged cheating in measuring liquid fuels Friday. At least a hundred locals and some working journalists sustained injuries when police carried out a baton-charge on the agitators to control the situation.
Protesting the police highhandedness, hundreds of locals Saturday staged road blockade near the petrol pump and sought the transfer of district SP and Kumbharpada police inspector in-charge.
“Some journalists sustained injuries during the police action on a mob. Our officials have examined the CCTV footages. I have discussed the issue with the injured scribes. We have ordered a probe into the incident and sealed the petrol pump,” Sarangi said after holding discussion with the agitators.
Meanwhile, injured journalists Prasanta Nayak, Bikram Acharya, Chittaranjan Mohanty, Pritish Mohanty, Sunil Mohanty, Bishal Mohanty and Santosh Pradhan Saturday lodged written complaints regarding the assault with Kumbharpada police.
“We have received the complaints. The incident would be thoroughly probed,” said additional SP Gagarin Mohanty.
Protesting the incident, over a hundred working journalists staged a demonstration near the SP office. They also met the district collector in connection with the assault.
Puri District Journalists’ Association and Odisha Journalists’ Union condemned the police action. Similarly, various social and political outfits also criticised the police highhandedness.
Moreover, social activist Prasanna Kumar Nayak also lodged a complaint in this regard with the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC).
PNN
