Kandhamal bandh to protest Christian leader's arrest

Tribal groups in Kandhamal, Orissa are protesting the arrest of a prominent Christian leader who is facing charges of alleged Maoist links.

Junes Pradhan was arrested on Monday from Kandhamal's Daringibadi area. Police arrested him for links with Maoists and involvement in recent landmine blasts.

Pradhan is the president of the BJD in Daringibadi block and is also the Kandhamal district chief of Christian Janakalyan Samaj, the apex body of tribal Christians in the district.

Four persons, including three policemen, died and three were injured in the last week's landmine blast at Srirampur-Kotagarh road.

According to reports, the concealed land mine exploded when the police personnel, mostly constables, were on their way to a site where the rebels had triggered an explosion a day earlier.

"We have got strong evidence of Pradhan's involvement in the landmine blast," said district superintendent of Police Jaynarayan Pankaj

Pankaj said Pradhan was arrested in connection with two cases registered against him in Kotagarh police station

"We also suspect his involvement in other crimes committed by the Maoists in the district," he informed.

Following Pradhan's arrest, a 12-hour bandh was announced by three tribal outfits - Banabasi Surakshya Parishad, Odisha Adivasi Mancha and Adivasi Adhikar Andolana.

Narendra Mohanty, convener of the Banabasi Surakhya Parishad, termed the case against Pradhan "baseless" and "fabricated".

"Pradhan was involved in several agitations for development of tribal people. Police have arrested him on false charges," Mohanty said.

Media reported that several business establishments and shops in Daringibadi kept their shutters down during the period.

The landmine blast that killed three policemen came on the second day of the two-day bandh called by the rebels to protest the recent police arrests and attacks on Maoists.

The Maoists triggered the blast through a battery when the team with two trained dogs was proceeding in a van on Srirampur- Kotagarh road to the site of another blast.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced that the families of the deceased would get Rs 8 lakh as ex-gratia.