Bhubaneswar, Sept. 21: More than one hundred residents of Saliasahi today gheraoed Nayapalli police station demanding the setting up of a police outpost in their area.

They also demanded a proper investigation into the death of Plus Two student Chandramani Dora whose mutilated body was found in an under-construction building on September 19.

The residents, mostly slum dwellers, came in large numbers and gheraoed the police station this afternoon. They said their area had become a safe haven for criminals. The crime rate in the area had shot up, they alleged.

“Several criminals have been residing here. They have been committing crimes in this area as well as in the city. If a police outpost is set up at Saliasahi, where nearly one lakh people stay, it will help to curb the crime rate,” said Anjan Swain, a local resident, adding that as many as 30 cases of murder had been registered with the police from Saliasahi in the past year.

Besides, several other crimes such as attempt to murder, stabbing, robbery, loot and arson also have been reported in the area. Local residents said that most of the criminals in the city hide here after committing crimes in other places.

They alleged that several illegal liquor shops had come up in the area and demanded that these shops be shut down. They said these illegal establishments had been inciting many crimes in the area.

Submitting a memorandum to the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) through the inspector-in-charge (IIC) of Nayapalli police station, the protesters demanded a proper investigation into the murder of 17-year-old Dora.

The Nayapalli police yesterday had arrested one Santosh Reddy for his alleged involvement in the murder.

However, locals residents alleged that there were several other persons involved in the murder, but the police were not taking any steps to book them.

A senior police officer said the demand for a proper probe into the murder case would be looked into. “After we assured them that we would inform higher officials about their demands and they removed the blockade,” said the officer.