OCA demands Special Inquiry Commission on Chappell case

Bhubaneswar, Jan 25 (UNI) Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) today demanded a special inquiry commission into the manhandling of Team India Coach Greg Chappell at the Biju Patnaik Airport on Monday.

In a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, OCA President Ranjib Biswal and Secretary Arshibad Behera demanded the unfortunate incident be probed by an inquiry commission to bring the truth in the greater interest of the state so that those involved in defaming and damaging the state be punished.

They thanked the Chief Minister for immediately ordering an inquiry into the incident by the Director General of Police who had completed his probe and submitted report to the government.

The DGP, Mr Biswal and Mr Behera said, has done the right thing by owning moral responsibility on the incident. The state Home Secretary they further said, had also stated that those responsible in the incident would be taken to task.

The OCA President and Secretary said despite the DGP's report and the Home Secretary's statement, those directly involved in the incident were not brought to book.

They alleged that some vested interest in the name of Kalinga Sena, had created such an unfortunate incident which should be properly inquired as this group had conspired to foil the arrangement of the ODI at Cuttack and bring disrespect to the pride of Orissa at the international level.

DGP Amrananda Patnaik who submitted his report on the incident had admitted security lapses at the Biju Patnaik Airport on Monday in which Team India Coach Greg Chappell was manhandled by a miscreant.

The DGP also blamed the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), in- Charge of Airport security, for the incident and said all steps would be taken so that such thing would not happen in future.

Chappell was allegedly manhandled by a miscreant on his arrival at the Biju Patnaik Airport along with the Team India players despite heavy security arrangement. The miscreant protested non inclusion of Orissa players in the team India squad.

Police later arrested the miscreant who identified himself as Biranchi Maharana, an activist of a local political outfit called Kalinga Sena. He was produced before a local court which sent him to judicial custody.

UNI