A protest against the construction of a railway line by the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) turned violent on Saturday after a villager was crushed to death by an earthmover near Barakani village, around 6km from Rourkela town.
The deceased, identified as Etwaa Ekka, died on the spot after coming under the wheels of the earthmover while attempting to stop land acquisition work for the railway line. Ekka is survived by two children.
Following the incident, enraged villagers pelted stones at police personnel and attacked them with sharp weapons. At least five to six policemen sustained injuries and were admitted to the hospital. Four villagers were also hurt in the scuffle. Police vehicles were damaged in the mob violence.
Locals alleged that the administration began construction without resolving pending compensation claims.
“We had submitted a complaint yesterday (Friday) asking for the work to be stopped until compensation was paid. There was no Gram Sabha. It is mandatory for authorities to take community consent before undertaking such projects. Instead, they tried to forcibly take our land,” said a protester.
Another villager said: “We have been demonstrating for 40 days. No official came to hear us out. Today’s incident could have been avoided.”
As of Saturday evening, Ekka’s body remained at the site, with hundreds of villagers gathering in protest.
Deputy inspector-general of police Brijesh Kumar Rai said efforts were underway to pacify the situation.
“We are taking steps to de-escalate the situation. The law and order problem is under control,” he said.