Cuttack/Bhubaneswar:
Sahara India chairman Subrata Roy’s scheduled meeting with the company’s field workers today was cancelled by the police fearing law and order situation, a move described as “unfortunate”, but appreciated by Roy.
Claiming to have received intelligence reports that victims of chit-fund companies were to protest at the meeting venue and create a law and order situation, the city police promulgated prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC and asked workers of the company to vacate the place.
“Although the company officials had intimated us earlier about their proposed meeting, it was cancelled at the last moment today by imposition of Section 144 as we received intelligence inputs about severe law and order situation and breach of peace,” said city DCP Sanjib Arora.
“We had intelligence inputs that some chit fund victims were preparing to protest at Roy’s programme. There was a possibility of a law and order situation. Therefore, section 144 was imposed in the area and agents were asked to vacate the place. Restriction was also imposed on Roy’s entry in Cuttack,” said Commissioner of Police Y B Khurania. The company workers had organised a similar meeting in December 2014.
Before coming to Cuttack, Roy had addressed two similar gatherings in Andhra Pradesh and Telengana, informed principal field manager of the company Gyananjay Moharana, expressing dismay as to how his Odisha programme was cancelled at the last moment.
Meanwhile, in a statement, Roy who is staying in a Bhubaneswar hotel, appreciated the action of the police and made it clear that Sahara’s financial services neither was, nor is in any chit fund business.
“It is very unfortunate that I could not meet around 3,000 pariwar members in Cuttack. We had permission, but at the last moment Section 144 has been imposed,” the statement said.
“As we learnt from Police that some forum has threatened to do agitations and they shall try to disrupt our meeting in Cuttack, the Police administration very rightly took the decision,” it said.
“As a responsible citizen we should cooperate with the
Police administration for maintaining peace. I shall definitely request forum people to remember the truth, that good can never be compared with bad,” it added.
