Jajpur: At least eleven people have been injured, six of them critically, in a clash between two groups in Odisha’s Jajpur district, police said Thursday.
The incident took place at Bulakipur village in Jajpur Sadar police station area Wednesday night over a dispute regarding the construction of ‘Bhagabata Tungi’, a small cottage where villagers gather after the day’s work to discuss religion, scriptures and culture.
The injured persons are undergoing treatment at different hospitals, they said.
Funds have been sanctioned by the Culture Department for constructing a ‘Bhagabata Tungi’ in the village. However, the dispute erupted over the selection of the site for the construction of the centre, a police officer said.
While one group of residents wanted the ‘Bhagabahat Tungi’ to be constructed in the centre of the village, another group opposed that site.
The clash erupted when one group of villagers tried to construct the foundation of the ‘Bhagabata Tungi’ at a site in the village Wednesday night when the other group reached the spot and opposed it, he said.
Soon, an argument ensued and it quickly escalated into a brutal confrontation in which bombs and sharp weapons were used, resulting in injuries to 11 persons, of whom six are in critical condition, the officer said.
Those injured in the clash were rushed to the local hospital for treatment, and later six of them were shifted to the district headquarters hospital after their condition deteriorated, he said.
Local police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
Jajpur Town Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Prasant Kumar Majhi said two platoons of police personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order.
Senior police officers visited the spot to stabilise the area and ensure no further violence occurs, he said.
Two separate complaints have been filed with the police in connection with the incident.
The police have launched a probe into the incident, and no one has been arrested so far, he added.