By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, March 11, 2015 :

The Odisha government on Wednesday ordered a high level official probe into the police firing on anti-liquor protestors at Namtara village under Rajkanika police limits in Kendrapara district on Sunday.

The Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), central division based at Cuttack will conduct the inquiry, state parliamentary affairs minister Bikram Keshari Arukh on behalf of chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who is also the home minister told the state Assembly while replying to an adjournment motion in the House moved by the Congress.

“All the members of the Opposition had stood up in their seats in protest against the barbaric and inhuman attack of the state government and its police on women, children and poor people at Namtara. They tried to unmask the real face of the chief minister and sought an impartial probe. We don’t think the RDC probe is appropriate and it can bring the real culprit to the book,” said Leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Narasingha Mishra.

The morning session of the Assembly was adjourned twice due to uproar over the issue.

BJP Legislature Party leader Basant Panda, while dubbing the RDC probe a “mere eyewash,” said only a House Committee probe could unearth the truth behind the “unprovoked” firing on the “innocent” protestors.

Mr Panda sought strong actions against the police officers and other officials responsible for the attack on the people. He also demanded that all the cases registered in the names of the protestors be dropped forthwith.

Over 100 people were reportedly injured, nine of them seriously, when the police resorted to lathi-charge and firing on the protestors who opposed running of a liquor shop in their area. The seriously injured includes school children and women. They are now undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital.