Bhubaneswar (Orissa) : At a time when the centre expressed concerned over Kandhamal violence today, two villagers were hacked to death by unidentified persons in the sensitive Tumudibandha police limits in riot-hit Kandhamal district.
With this the death toll of communal violence has reached at 35 on Friday.
The killings took place at Sindhupanka village in the Tumudibandha police station area late on Thursday night while bodies were recovered early on Friday.
Police sources said that the miscreants attacked the house of Dushashan Majhi and hacked him to death with an axe. After that they killed a 15-year old boy, who was present at the spot with sharp weapons.
Nobody was arrested and efforts were continuing to capture the culprits. The police have arrested 371 persons so far since the violence broke out on August 25 few minutes after Swami Laxmananda Saraswati and four of his disciples were shot dead at Jalespata Ashram.
Night Curfew is continuing in nine police stations. 119 out of the 505 licenced guns in the district, surrendered to the authorities by the weapon holders following an official order.
Confiscation proceedings would be initiated against those who failed to deposit guns.
Meanwhile, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is now under tremendous pressure after the Union Cabinet took a serious view and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed anguish over continuing violence against Christians, the Orissa Chief Minister received a strong warded missive from Home Minister Shivraj Patil, which has asked him to take effective measures and provide security for the community.
The letter came hours after the Union Cabinet expressed grave concern over the situation in the state with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh directing Patil to present an appraisal report on the situation at the next cabinet meeting.
In the letter, the Home Minister is understood to have stated that enough para-military forces have been provided to the state since trouble broke out in December last year.
He told Patnaik to take effective measures to control communal violence and to apprehend elements that continue to stoke violence and hatred.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
2 more killed in violent-hit Kandhamal, Naveen under pressure
