Post News Network
Berhampur, March 22: Eighty houses belonging to 46 families have been torched and properties worth `1crore turned into ashes as rival groups hurled bombs and set afire houses at Ambagaon village under Jarada police station in Ganjam district Sunday. Police said four people were critically injured.
In the aftermath of the clash, male members fled the village on the Orissa-Andhra Pradesh border so as to avoid police arrest. Fire tenders rushed to the spot and controlled the blazes.
The incident occurred when one group started torching the houses belonging to their rival group by pouring petrol. Many houses were gutted due to explosion of crude bombs hurled at houses. “The situation is under control. Police forces were deployed in the area,” said Chikiti SDPO BK Nayak. “
Some days ago, disputes surfaced between the two sides over petty matters. In order to sort these out, a meeting was called March 5. A day before the meeting, tension between rival groups mounted and over 20 bombs were hurled at each other. Police forces were deployed in the area to maintain peace.
Later, another meeting was fixed to sort out the issues. People from neighbouring Srikakulam, Ichchapuram, Kabeti and Sompeta of Andhra Pradesh and several panchayats of Patrapur were invited to the meeting. The two groups had contributed `10,000 each for meeting the expenses.
Just two days before the meeting, women belonging to the two groups had an altercation. Later, around 10 people of one group indulged in stone-pelting. Tension mounted as the news spread. Both sides torched rivals’ houses and properties and hurled bombs at each other.