Suspecting foul play, relatives of those killed while allegedly making bombs in the proposed Posco steel plant area of Jagatsinghpur district in Odisha on Monday refused to take the three bodies.
“We had issued notice to the relatives of the three deceased requesting them to receive the bodies. But they are not willing to do so”, Inspector In-Charge of Kujanga police station Gupteswar Bhoi said.
However, relatives of the deceased alleged that supporters of the steel project were behind the blast and the police was trying to cover up the incident by framing charges against innocent villagers. Police claims that the explosion took place during bomb making by anti-Posco activists.
“We will neither receive the bodies nor perform last rites unless and until we are given justice with arrest of culprits involved in the incident,” they said.
The police said they had requested the family members to receive the bodies at the time of post-mortem and while accepting them after inquest. “But you are neither receiving the notices nor coming forward to perform the last rites”, Mr. Bhoi said, quoting the notice which also requested them to accept the bodies soon.
Three activists of anti-Posco brigade were killed on Saturday at Patana village while allegedly making explosives.
The family members of the deceased alleged that project supporters had attacked them with bombs and demanded justice with immediate arrest of those involved in the crime.
Jagatsinghpur Superintendent of police Satyabrata Bhoi said investigation into the incident was on and appropriate step would be taken.
