Suspecting foul play, relatives ofthose killed while allegedly making bombs in the proposed Posco steel plantarea of Jagatsinghpur district in Odisha today refused to take the threebodies.
"We had issued notice to the relatives of the three deceased requestingthem to receive the bodies. But they are not willing to do so", InspectorIn-Charge of Kujanga police station Gupteswar Bhoi said.
However, relatives of the deceased alleged that supporters of the steel projectwere behind the blast and the police was trying to cover up the incident byframing charges against innocent villagers. Police claims that the explosiontook place during bomb making by anti-Posco activists.
"We will neither receive the bodies nor perform last rites unless anduntil we are given justice with arrest of culprits involved in theincident," they said.
The police said they had requested the family members to receive the bodies atthe time of post-mortem and while accepting them after inquest. "But youare neither receiving the notices nor coming forward to perform the lastrites", Bhoi said, quoting the notice which also requested them to acceptthe bodies soon.
Three activists of anti-Posco brigade were killed on Saturday at Patana villagewhile allegedly making explosives.
The family members of the deceased alleged that project supporters had attackedthem with bombs and demanded justice with immediate arrest of those involved inthe crime.
Jagatsinghpur Superintendent of police Satyabrata Bhoi said investigation intothe incident was on and appropriate step would be taken.