Odisha: 10 chopped palms recovered in Kalinga Nagar, police suspect remains could belong to tribals killed in 2006

As many as 10 chopped palms were recovered from the Kalinga Nagar area in Odisha on Sunday, which the police suspect are of the tribals killed in the 2006 police firing. At least 13 tribals were killed in a police firing during a protest against land acquisition for a steel plant in Kalinga Nagar in January 2006.

The tension in the Jajpur area was palpable when police found five pairs of chopped palms, which were preserved in a medical box in a club near the site.

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On Saturday night, some miscreants broke the club's window and entered it. They took away the box containing the chopped palms and dumped them in the area, he said. So far, no formal complaint has been lodged in this regard, Meena said, adding that heavy police force has been deployed in the area to maintain strict vigil.

Doctors conducting the post-mortem examination of the bodies had to cut the palms of five victims to obtain their fingerprints as they could not be identified, the police said.

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The chopped palms were given to the deceased tribals' family members a couple of years ago, but they refused to accept them and demanded a DNA test, they said.

Following this, they were preserved in the medical box and kept in the club, they said. 

(With PTI inputs)