Bhubaneswar: At least five persons, including two home guards sustained critical injuries when they were attacked by a group of youths for opposing illegal transport of cattle in the city Sunday.
The incident took place near Patia level-crossing in the wee hours of Sunday. The incident also triggered tension in three nearby villages.
According to sources, the injured youths — Chandrasekhar Das, Honey Sahu and Abhisek Champati — are members of Bajrang Dal.
Chandrasekhar said they got a tip-off at around 12 am that some youths were loading stray cattle in a van and transporting them to other parts of the state. He, along with Honey and Abhisek reached Patia level-crossing to check the cattle smuggling.
The trio intercepted the van and found three cattle inside. Chandrasekhar pulled out the keys of the van while his two friends went to call the cops. Soon the duo reached the Infocity police station and brought two home guards along with them to the level-crossing.
Meanwhile, the cattle transporters brought about 40 youths from their village. The cattle transporters, along with the 40 youths, thrashed the Bajrang Dal activists and home guards. Subsequently, they detained a home guard and took him to their village.
Later, the victims contacted Infocity and Mancheswar police who rescued the home guard from the village.
Although Chandrasekhar’s condition became critical following the assault, the police detained him at the police station throughout the night after preliminary treatment, he alleged.
Hundreds of youths from Patia went to Mancheswar police station Sunday morning and took Chandrasekhar to a private hospital for treatment.
Patia, Enjhana and Jaripatna villages remained tense following the incident and police forces were deployed to thwart any untoward incident.
DCP Satyabrata Bhoi said the matter is being investigated.
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