As predicted
Kundan


*48 nabbed, curfew relaxed in Kandhamal*

 Express New Service
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03 Oct 2008 09:22:00 AM IST

BHUBANESWAR/PHULBANI: Police launched a massive crackdown on the
trouble-makers in Kandhamal by arresting 48 persons, including some Sangh
Parivar activists.

  Meanwhile, additional para-military force was rushed to the riot-hit
district where the police have adopted a tough posture against the Sangh
Parivar activists after the new Director-General of Police (DGP) took
charge. Curfew was relaxed from 8 am to 5 pm in all the nine police station
areas.

  Official sources said that 10 more companies of Central Reserve Police
Force (CRPF) arrived in Kandhamal in phases for deployment in sensitive
areas. With this, as many as 46 companies of para-military force are engaged
in fighting violence.

  DGP Manmohan Praharaj, who is camping in Kandhamal, took stock of the
situation at a meeting and visited G Udaygiri and Raikia, which witnessed
violence recently.

    Praharaj told mediapersons that persons irrespective of their religion
will be booked if found involved or instigating violence.

  With the arrest of 48 persons since Tuesday, the total number of arrests
in Kandhamal district has gone up to 337.

  After the direction from the administration regarding the surrender of
guns and licences, till today, only 95 persons out of 505 from nine police
station limits have deposited their guns and licences.

    Meanwhile, members of the District Bar Association, Phulbani, have given
a seven-point charter demands to the district administration which included
non-clamping of curfew in Phulbani town, shifting of relief camps which were
functioning in various educational institutions of the district, arrest of
the culprits involved in the killing of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati and
his associates, restoration of communication to the interior areas of the
district and non-arrest of innocent                    people.

  *Meanwhile, BJP, a partner of the ruling coalition, strongly opposed the
arrest of some of its workers and functionaries on charges of rioting and
arson.*

   Among the arrested was BJP's Kandhamal district unit general secretary
Bhagaban Mohanty. BJP is likely to take up the matter with Chief Minister
Naveen Patnaik.

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