BARIPADA: Villagers of Anandapur under Purunapani gram panchayat on Monday tied three employees of RC Rungta group to an electric pole for allegedly offering them cash to part with their land for a proposed industrial project.
Irate villagers also garlanded the three victims with shoes after the trio was reportedly caught offering cash to some locals to sign blank papers for land acquisition.
Sources said the company has identified land in Kantabani, Dandabosh and Anandapur to set up an industrial project. A month ago, a gram sabha meeting was held in Kantabani to resolve land acquisition issues but no agreement could be reached between the company authorities and villagers. Three weeks ago, villagers had gheraoed Rairangpur block office protesting the proposed project.
On Monday, three employees from the company visited Anandapur to persuade villagers to part with their land for the project. The trio allegedly offered cash to villagers in exchange for signatures on blank papers. After the news spread, a group of villagers confronted the employees, tied them to an electric pole and garlanded them with shoes.
On receiving information, Rairangpur Town police rushed to the village and rescued the victims from the clutches of villagers. “The trio is in police custody and would return to their workplace soon. So far, no complaint has been filed in this connection,” said a police officer.