Police lathicharge 108 ambulance workers in Sambalpur
Police resorted to lathicharge against 108 ambulance workers agitating in front of the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) office in Sambalpur demanding unconditional release of the 358 staff arrested under Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA).
The agitating ambulance staff also reiterated their demand for removal of private agencies engaged in the operation of ambulance services.
All the 108 ambulance staff from 27 districts had gathered here to protest against the arrest of their colleagues. They are threatening to continue their agitation till their demands are met, informed sources.
Sambalpur ASP Amarendra Rana informed that the police had tried to reason with the agitating ambulance staff but as the latter started pelting stones, police had to take immediate action against them. Two police personnel and one agitator were injured during the clash.
Nearly eight to nine agitators have been detained by the police, Earlier on January 5, police had booked 358 ambulance staff, who were staging a dharna in front of the RDC office since December 20.
Vizag cops begin probe as ragging death sparks fury in Sambalpur
With Sambalpur seething in rage over the death of 16-year-old Shreyas Kesharwani allegedly due to ragging, Visakhapatnam police have already started an inquiry after their Sambalpur counterpart established contact with them.
While parents of Shreyas have accused three students of ragging and charged the management of Sri Chaitanya Junior College at Marikavalasa with negligence, Pothina Mallayya (PM) Palem Police in Visakhapatnam said it would examine the video in which Shreyas had apparently named the students who had assaulted him. PM Palem Inspector K Lakshmana Murthy said Shreyas had informed Lakshmana Rao, vice-principal of Sri Chaitanya Junior College at Marikavalasa, about severe body pains after “slipping in the bathroom”. He was soon taken to a hospital and his parents were informed about the matter.
“Odisha police say the parents of the student recorded a video before his death in which he has named the students who thrashed him. He has also blamed the management of negligence and said he had informed school authorities about his injuries,” Murthy explained. The inspector said the Vice-Principal ruled out the possibility of a fight between students and claimed Shreyas had approached him saying he had fallen down. Besides, all the three students against whom Shreyas had complained are on vacation, he said. “The video recording needs to be checked. Postmortem report will be crucial,” added Murthy.
Sambalpur SP Sanjiv Arora said a police team from Sambalpur is on its way to hand over the case to its Visakhapatnam counterpart. He has also written to his counterpart on the matter.Shreyas was allegedly thrashed by a few students of the college. He left for home in Garposh of Odisha citing ill health on December 29, but succumbed to injuries at a hospital in Bhubaneswar on January 6.
The boy’s death sparked protests in his hometown after his family held the college management responsible for his death as it could not prevent ragging. Irate locals blocked Bamra-Garposh road demanding action against the school management and the students who ragged the deceased. The demonstrators also staged a rail-roko at Garposh Railway Station to express their protest.
On December 29, Shreyas’s father Shailesh Kesharwani moved him to Odisha after a medical check-up. A few days later, the 16-year-old complained of severe pain in his chest and limbs. He was rushed to Ispat General Hospital in Rourkela and shifted to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar on January 5 after his condition deteriorated. However, he succumbed while undergoing treatment in the hospital on Saturday.
In-charge Sub-Divisional Police Officer of Kuchinda in Sambalpur Amitav Panda said the victim’s family had registered a complaint with the police against three students of the school.
Bandh in Sambalpur to protest the death of ragged student
Normal life was hit as residents of Garposh under Bamra block staged an eight-hour bandh in sambalpur on Sunday due to a death of a Class XI student who allegedly died at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar after being ragged in his school at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
Bandh in Sambalpur to protest the death of a student Shreyash Kesharwani, who was beaten up by three to four students in Sri Chaitanya College at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
Shops and markets remained closed at Garposh which is a business centre of Bamra. Irate locals blocked Bamra-Garposh road keeping the body of the 16-year-old Shreyash Kesharwani at Garposh Chowk. The agitators demanded action against the culprits involved in the ragging and the school authorities.
The bandh in sambalpur began at around 6 am in the morning and continued till 2 pm. Kuchinda legislator Rabi Naik and former MLA Rajendra Chhatria also joined the agitators. This apart, locals also staged rail roko at Garposh railway station and detained Rourkela-Sambalpur DMU besides two goods trains for about one hour.
However, the agitators called off the rail roko after district officials and police assured them of a proper investigation into the incident.
As per reports, Shreyash was staying in school hostel at Visakhapatnam. On December 26, some students allegedly thrashed Shreyash severely. He sustained injuries and informed the school vice-principal about the incident. Subsequently, he was treated at a private hospital in Visakhapatnam.
Two days after the incident, Shreyash callled his father Sailesh Kesharwani and informed that he had slipped in the bathroom. Sailesh went to Visakhapatnam and brought his son with him on December 30. However, Shreyash did not tell the real cause of his injury to his father even after reaching home.
A few days later, the 16-year-old complained of severe chest pain and pain in his limbs. He was rushed to Ispat General Hospital at Rourkela and shifted to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar on January 5 after his condition deteriorated. However, he succumbed while undergoing treatment at the hospital in the Capital on Saturday.
In-charge SDPO of Kuchinda Amitav Panda said the victim’s family has lodged complaint against three students of the school. The complaint will be transferred to Pothinamallayya Palem police station in Visakhapatnam as the incident had occurred under its jurisdiction.
Sambalpur boy dies after being ‘ragged’
A 16-year-old Sambalpur boy, who had allegedly faced ragging at his school in Andhra Pradesh in December last year, died in a hospital in the Capital on Saturday. The deceased has been identified as Shreyash Kesharwani of Garposh village in Sambalpur district. He was studying at a school in Visakhapatnam.According to Nilesh Kesharwani, uncle of Shreyash, his nephew was savagely beaten by his colleagues in December and he was threatened not to reveal about the incident to anyone.
“Shreyash had not informed about the incident for about two days. He later called his father Sailesh and my brother rushed to bring him back,” Nilesh said.“Shreyash was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Visakhapatnam and the doctors had advised him one month bed rest. My brother brought him back, but his condition deteriorated. We then admitted him at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar where he died on Saturday,” he added.
The family members of Shreyash, who was studying in Class XI, alleged that the school authorities had also not informed them about the incident. The deceased had reportedly developed some heart and lungs ailment after the incident. Meanwhile, Shreyash’s family have lodged a complaint in this regard with Sambalpur police.
