‘Protect Belbahali villagers from cop torture’

Bhubaneswar, Oct 1: Senior
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Narasingha
Mishra on Saturday urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Director General of
Police (DGP) KB Singh to protect the people of Belbahali locality, where a
bridge is proposed to constructed over river Kusei, and to ensure their freedom
of movement and save them from police torture.

Forwarding a
representation submitted to him on behalf of the villagers, Mishra made this
request.

“The villagers have
been protesting against construction of a bridge close to their village and,
because of the change of site, 20,000 people are going to suffer. Though, the
construction of the bridge has been temporarily suspended, the people of that
area are in police surveillance. It is alleged that the villagers are being
tortured by the local police and their freedom of movement has been curtailed.
Even police officers are misbehaving with women. Anybody going to and coming
out the village is subjected to police search and being humiliated,” Mistra
apprised the two quoting the representation.

The senior Congress
leader requested them to take appropriate action to protect the people and
ensure freedom of movement and save them from police torture.