Kandhamal violence: 10,000 people named in 746 cases

Agencies Posted: Dec 02, 2008 at 1424 hrs
Bhubaneswar An estimated 10,000 people have been named in 746 cases lodged during Kandhamal violence this year with 598 accused put behind the bars, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik informed the Assembly.

All these cases were being investigated and those arrested had been forwarded to court, Patnaik told the House on Monday replying to a question.

In 2007 violence, about 800 families were affected and all were given compensation, he said. The evidence of involvement of 1,453 have been obtained by the investigating officers in 127 cases, and 193 of the accused have so far been arrested, the Chief Minister said.

To another question, Patnaik said that the government has received reports of 4,215 houses either damaged or burnt in the flare-up in 2008 which had taken place after the killing of VHP leader Laxmanananda Saraswati.

While as per the preliminary reports, 252 prayers halls and other religious places had been damaged, the detailed report was still under progress.

Three persons have been arrested in connection with the seer's death while police were looking for others.