Rourkela: A violent clash during a protest against a railway line project in Rourkela’s Bandhamunda-Bisra block claimed the life of a tribal protester and injured six others, including police and government officials, on Saturday.
The incident has intensified tensions in the region, where local residents have been opposing the project for months, demanding fair compensation for their land.
The railway line, intended to connect Dumerta to the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), faced renewed protests when villagers gathered at the Barkani construction site to halt work that resumed despite their objections.
The situation escalated tragically when Eto Ekka, a 37-year-old resident of Barkani, was fatally struck by an earthmover involved in the project, according to sources.
Angered over Ekka’s death, a large crowd of locals assembled at the site, accusing the administration of negligence.
The protest turned violent as some demonstrators’ pelted stones at security personnel and officials, with reports of bows and arrows used in the attack.
Additional Tehsildar Purusottam Nayak, Assistant Sub-Inspector Rajendra Sahu, the earthmover operator, and three others sustained injuries and were admitted to Rourkela Government Hospital for treatment.
Senior officials, including Deputy Inspector General (Western) Brijesh Kumar Ray and Rourkela Superintendent of Police Nitesh Wadhwani rushed at the scene to restore order.
Additional police forces have been deployed to prevent further violence and are engaging in talks with the protesting villagers to defuse the situation.
