Peoples’ Union for Democratic Rights strongly condemns the Arrest of Anti-Posco leader Abhay Sahu. He was arrested in Tirtol area near in Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha, the police said Sahu, President of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), was held by a police team at Nuapokhari village near Ersama in the district, on 25 November night when he was returning from Bhubaneswar to his village.
Police said the PPSS president was arrested in connection with several cases pending against him. The cases slapped by police against Sahu relate to alleged assault and imposition of fine on people who did not support him, police said adding that the anti-Posco leader faced about a dozen cases of varied nature(Like tampering evidence in a dowry death case and atrocity against Scheduled Caste persons). Sahu, however, refuted the charges and claimed that he was arrested in false cases. The PPSS chief has been leading an agitation for the last six years against land acquisition for the proposed POSCO steel project. This is part and partial state government agenda to suppress the anti-POSCO movement by hook or by crook. Earlier, Sahu had been arrested by police in October, 2008 and kept in jail for 14 months. He was released after obtaining bail from the court in August, 2009. PUDR condemning the arrest described it as a conspiracy to suppress the POSCO movement
Secretaries
Harish Dhawan and Paramjeet Singh.
