Odisha Congress Claims Death Of Man Hit By Police Vehicle Engaged For Pandian’s Gajapati Visit, Seeks Rs 1 Cr Compensation

Bhubaneswar: Alleging that a man was killed after being hit by a police vehicle engaged for 5T and Nabin Odisha Chairman V K Pandian’s visit to Gajapati district, Congress on Wednesday demanded Rs one crore compensation to the family of the deceased

Addressing a press meet in Bhubaneswar, state Congress campaign committee chairman Bijay Patnaik claimed that the poor man was killed after being hit by police vehicle at Parisal village in R Udayagiri area of Gajapati on Tuesday.

Alleging that the vehicle which carried some men in plain clothes did not stop after the accident, Patnaik said that the new law pertaining to hit and run mishaps provides for imprisonment for five to ten years.

Seeking to know whether any FIR has been lodged by the police in connection with the accident, he said appropriate legal steps must be taken by the police.

Claiming that the vehicle was engaged for the visit of Pandian, the Congress leader sought to know the exact nature of security cover the BJD leader and 5T chairman is entitled to get.

Moreover, the BJD leader also failed to take any humanitarian measure after the accident., he claimed, adding that Pandian should have met the family members of the man who was killed after being hit by the police vehicle.

Neither Pandian nor Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik bothered to sympathise with the bereaved family, the Congress leader claimed, and said it was not an ordinary accident as the CM is also involved.

Therefore, Congress demands a compensation of Rs one crore to the family of the deceased man and steps to provide job to eligible member of the family, Patnaik said.

Dismissing the claims made by the Congress leader as false and misleading, BJD spokesperson Ipsita Sahu said the death of the man in the accident involving a vehicle of security personnel was unfortunate. The party has expressed its sympathy towards the family of the deceased, she said.

Though the accident in Gajapati district involved a vehicle of security personnel, it  was sudden and unexpected, she said.

Moreover, the accident took place much after the departure of Pandian after his visit to Gajapati and the claims made by Bijay Patnaik are false, the BJD spokesperson added.