PARADIP: Jagatsinghpur Police on Friday arrested Bapi Sarkel, the owner of a construction firm engaged for laying the coastal road at Posco site, from Raipur in neighbouring Chhattisgarh. He was wanted in connection with the clash at Bose Callis Point.SP S Devdatta Singh said Sarkel was produced in JMFC court later in the evening which rejected his bail plea and remanded him in judicial custody.Singh said two teams led by Kujang police station IIC Gupteswer Bhoi were sent to Raipur on a tip-off about the presence of Sarkel there. He was arrested in wee hours of Friday from a hotel, Singh added.The arrest comes nine days after the clash between the anti-Posco brigade and the contractor’s group that led to the death of one person. As many as 25 persons were injured.With this the number of people arrested in connection with the incident has gone up to six. Earlier, police raided the offices of Sarkel at Paradip, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack on the basis of two FIRs filed at Kujang police station. The incident had sparked uproar in the Assembly with the Chief Minister assuring to take action against the contractor and order an inquiry to find out how Sarkel availed armed police security. Sarkel is the advisor of Ersama-Paradip Industrial Development Council, who played a major role in expediting IOCL’s oil refinery project and Posco steel project with the support of local villagers. He has been associated with Odisha Premier League cricket.Villagers protest Hundreds of villagers, believed to be Sarkel’s supporters, staged a demonstration in front of Kujang court and tehsil office alleging that Sarkel was framed. They demanded withdrawal of charges against him. Sub Divisional Police officer, Paradip, Santanu Das said any form of lawlessness will be dealt with strictly.
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