M A I N   N E W S

Sonia assures justice to firing victims

Kalinga Nagar (Orissa), January 11
Congress President Sonia Gandhi today expressed grief and anguish over the killing of 12 tribesmen in a police firing here on January 2 and assured that justice would be provided to them.

Ms Gandhi, who arrived here from Bhubaneswar by a helicopter along with Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Union Home Secretary V.K. Duggal, visited Champakoili, the place of tribesmen-police clash on January 2.

She also went to Ambagadi Jaipal Singh Ground where the 12 tribesmen were cremated en masse on January 4 and offered floral tributes.

Later, she talked to the family members of the victims, expressed her sympathy for the tragic incident and assured that justice would be provided to them.

The agitating tribesmen handed over a memorandum to Ms Gandhi requesting her to look into the rehabilitation of the tribesmen displaced by various projects in the area.

She requested the agitated people to lift the road blockade and assured that their problems would be taken up at the appropriate forum.

Mr Patil announced that the Centre, as per the desire of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson, would provide Rs 5 lakh to next of kin of those killed in the firing. — UNI