Rayagada: Tension ran high at Andirakanch village of Odisha’s Rayagada district following the death of a pregnant woman who was jailed for demanding job.

According to reports, Andirakanch police under Kashipur block of the district had forwarded 13 women, including Mala Nayak, the deceased, after arresting them while they were sitting on dharna demanding job at Utkal Alumina on December 26.

Five of 13 women including Mala were reportedly pregnant when they were arrested by cops. Considering their situation, the villagers appealed to the local court to release them on bail.

Taking a serious note of their health conditions, the court decided to release them on bail on January 6 but they could not be released from the jail as police had registered another case against them. Finally, the women were granted bail on January 10.

Mala was admitted to Rayagada hospital after she complained of labour pain. Later, she was shifted to SLN Medical College and Hospital in Koraput. Unfortunately, she died on the way to the hospital after giving birth to a baby boy.

Irate over Mala’s death, villagers of Andirakanch staged a road blocked with Mala’s body. They demanded compensation for the bereaved family and proper treatment of her newdonpato.

Soon, a team of cops from the Andirakanch Police Station including IIC Sukumar Hansdah and officials of Utkal Alumina reached the spot after getting information about the road blockade.

They managed the angry locals to convince to lift the road blockade by assuring them to consider their demands.

Meanwhile, Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka blamed Rayagada police for Mala’s death and demanded a high-level probe into the incident. He also threatened to raise the issue in Lok Sabha.