Villagers-Police clash at JSW site: Activist arrested

Villagers-Police clash at JSW site: Activist arrested

Villagers-Police clash at JSW site: Activist arrested

Jagatsinghpur: Following conflicts between police and locals during the removal of betel vines, a former panchayat member who is leading a campaign against JSW's proposed steel plant in Dhinkia was arrested on Friday.

The conflicts resulted in the injuries of a number of locals and police officers.

Debendra Swain, a former panchayat member who opposes the project, was arrested on charges of leading a bunch of armed miscreants to attack police and government officials. His arrest was confirmed by the Additional SP.

Earlier, some people challenged the removal of betel vines from the proposed steel plant location, causing tension. They claimed that the district administration was forcibly destroying betel vines and evicting people from their homes for the project.

When the police stationed there attempted to stop them from walking forward, a brawl broke out between the locals, including women, and the officers.

As the scene became more tense, with locals allegedly becoming aggressive, the police used lathicharge to disperse the crowd.