Members of Indian Ex-services League, Odisha on Monday met District Collector and SP and submitted a memorandum demanding stringent action against the ‘goons’ who attacked Chief Security Officer Haleem Khan inside Tarang Studio premises.
The ex-servicemen demanded non-bailable arrest against the two main accused Dilip Mahabhoi and Mathura Mahabhoi. They alleged that the two accused were repeated offenders and demanded that the two be booked under the NSA Act.
The District Collector and SP accepted the memorandum and assured to take necessary action as per law.
“This isn’t the first time. The two accused were also involved in assaulting another senior Army officer Raghunath Patra in 2020. They had been to jail back then, but were soon released on bail. So, we demand that they be booked under NSA Act and should not be let out on bail,” Bidyadhar Nayak, a member of the ex-services said.
Notably, Haleem Khan, the chief security officer (CSO) of Tarang Studio at Sarua in Khurda district had sustained grievous injuries after he was attacked by 10-12 local goons on Friday. The goons came to the studio at around 10 am on Friday on the pretext of searching the land officer and started abusing Khan. When he asked them to leave, they threatened to kidnap him.
However, when Khan protested, they called a few goons from the village who came with sticks, sharp weapons and pistols and attacked the CSO.
More than 12 industrial units have so far been forced to shut down due to such notorious criminals. While the State government makes tall claims of attracting investors from abroad, its zero efforts to provide security to local investors proves otherwise.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Sarua Industrial Estate, which houses many industries including the Tarang Studio, has been witnessing an increased threat from miscreants who extort money from the industrialists by threatening them with life.