Anti-Posco leader released on bail in Odisha
May 18th, 2012 - 7:40 pm ICT by IANSBhubaneswar, May 18 (IANS) A former Odisha legislator who was arrested in connection with clashes near the Posco steel plant site in Jagatsinghpur district last year was released on bail Friday, an official said.
N. Narayan Reddy, a Communist Party of India leader who represented Chhatrapur assembly constituency from 2004 to 2009, was arrested Dec 24 for his alleged role in the Dec 14 clashes in which one person was killed.
The court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class at the block headquarters town of Kujanga, about 120 km from here, granted a conditional bail to Reddy on the basis of a direction from the Odisha High Court.
As soon as the news of his release spread, hundreds of anti-Posco villagers converged near the Kujanga jail premises and gave him a heroic welcome.
“Police had framed me in false case to weaken the anti-Posco agitation. We will continue our protest against the project,” Reddy told reporters outside the jail after his release.
Reddy was arrested in connection with clashes between workers and local villagers that erupted after hundreds of villagers did not allow workers to carry out the construction of a road in the region.
The 10-km coastal road will help authorities speed up work for the South Korean steel major Posco’s $12 billion project for a composite steel and power plant, the country’s largest foreign direct investment.
Reddy was heading the villagers’ anti-Posco movement after protest leader Abhaya Sahu was arrested in November on various charges.
- Odisha ex-lawmaker held for Posco violence - Dec 24, 2011
- Contractor held for Odisha violence over Posco - Dec 23, 2011
- Police hunt for contractor in Posco violence - Dec 19, 2011
- Clashes over road construction at Posco site, one killed - Dec 14, 2011
- Probe sought into killing near Posco project site - Dec 15, 2011
- Arrest of anti-Posco leader triggers tension - Nov 27, 2011
- Anti-POSCO leader held - Nov 26, 2011
- Anti-Posco leader released on bail - Aug 22, 2009
- Orissa court grants bail to anti-Posco leader - Aug 20, 2009
- POSCO project: Supporters, protesters hold rival meets - Mar 13, 2011
- Anti-Posco leader threatens to intensify stir - Sep 12, 2009
- 'Withdraw cases against anti-POSCO villagers' - May 26, 2010
- Orissa students hold anti-Posco protest - Oct 27, 2008
- Posco land takeover to resume Saturday, protest intensifies (Lead) - Jun 17, 2011
- Medha Patkar joins Anti-Posco protest - Jun 20, 2011
Tags: agitation, bhubaneswar, clashes, coastal road, communist party of india, composite steel, constituency, dec 24, false case, foreign direct investment, india leader, judicial magistrate, legislator, narayan, posco, posco steel, power plant, protest leader, south korean, steel plant