JEYPORE: A 42-year-old jeweller of Jeypore died two days after his shop was raided by GST officials.
He complained of pain in his heart and was admitted to a private hospital where he succumbed on Thursday.
On Tuesday, a team of GST officials had raided the shop of the deceased, P Hariprasad and checked the gold and silver ornaments. Hariprasad was upset with the raid and had alleged it had hit his business and stature in the town. A few traders alleged Hariprasad was warned of heavy fine by the team if he did not pay a bribe. However, Hariprasad refused to pay up stating he had done nothing wrong.
As soon as the news of his death spread, hundreds of traders rushed to his house on the main road of the town on Friday. One of Hariprasad’s relative said the jeweller was threatened by the officials.
In the evening, president of Jeypore Chamber of Commerce V Prabhakar in a press statement condemned the raid on Hariprasad’s shop.
He demanded action against the GST officials for harassing Hariprasad. “We have called a 12-hour bandh on Saturday to protest the GST officials’ high-handedness,” Prabhakar said. A a senior GST officer said the trader was not harassed and the verification of papers and assessment of ornaments was scheduled on November 5.