Balasore: Two police officials and four villagers were grievously injured when a clash broke out between people of Bankatira and Kalma villages on Balasore-Mayurbhanj border over past rivalry Tuesday.
According to reports, people of the two villages had bitter enmity and had clashed earlier. The simmering tension took an ugly turn Tuesday. Angry people pelted stones at a police van, leaving two policemen wounded while four villagers were also injured in the violence.
Irate villagers blocked the Balasore-Baripada road for six hours leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded on the either side of the road.
According to reports, a 32-attire ceremony of Lord Jagannath was organised at Kalma under Baisinga police limits in Mayurbhanj December 28, 2017. Five to six youths from Bankatira danced at a culture programme and several other local youths joined them.
However, the local puja committee members opposed them, leading to a fight. Police rushed to the spot and settled the issue.
Some youths of Kalma had gone to Bankatira January 13 to witness Makara festival. Bankatira villagers assaulted the youths over the past issue. The villagers of Kalma filed an FIR with Baisinga police in this regard and the police detained a youth of Bankatira.
Angry over this, locals of Bankatira vandalised an eatery of a Kalma villager. And retaliatory attacks went on.
Police of Baisinga and Haladipada had held a peace meeting of both the villages Monday and set free some detained people.
Over 200 people from Bankatira blocked Balasore-Baripada road Tuesday morning. As there was a traffic jam, Haladipada police rushed to the spot. As soon as the policemen came out of the van, angry people hurled stones at them. ASI Rajendra Nayak and driver Dillip Kumar Jena were wounded in the stone pelting.
Later, some people of Kalma armed with weapons reached the spot, leading to a violent clash. In the fight, Aswini Das and Umakant Jena of Bankatira and Pankaj Bijuli and Janmejay Bijuli of Kalma were critically injured. PNN