Oppn may press for strong action against erring cops

BHUBANESWAR: The Opposition BJP and Congress members are likely to take up the custodial death issue in the Assembly again on Monday seeking strong action against the erring officials.Sources said both the parties will demand a discussion on the issue in the House and statement from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. 

Opposition chief whip and BJP leader Mohan Majhi said the party is likely to give an adjournment motion notice on Monday for a discussion in the House on custodial deaths.Majhi said the BJP is also planning to give a Puri bandh call to protest the custodial death. The date of the bandh will be announced soon, he added.

Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati said the party will continue to raise the custodial death issue in the House till action is taken against the officials who were responsible. The issue was not raised in the House on Sunday as another important issue, the decision to close down schools, was being discussed.

Talking to the mediapersons, Puri BJP MLA Jayant Sarangi alleged that the police, which had called up the parents of the deceased youth K Ramesh for interrogation on Thursday, are yet to reveal their whereabouts. He claimed that the mother of the deceased will reveal the entire incident once she is released.

The Opposition had stalled proceedings of the Assembly on Friday and Saturday over the custodial deaths at Puri and Biramitrapur in Sundargarh district.