Baliguda: In a bizarre incident, police had to face the wrath of some locals during an antidrug crackdown at Barikia under Midiakia panchayat and this police station limits in Ganjam district in the wee hours of Sunday. Police were tipped off that a huge stock of marijuana has been stored in some of the houses at Barikia village. A police team led by Baliguda SDPO Rahul Goyal raided various places and seized the ganja.
However, when the police team was about to leave the village with the seized ganja, irate villagers besieged the police vehicle loaded with the contraband. Police tried to pacify the villagers but the villagers argued with them and detained the van along with the police team. There was a four-hour-long clash between the villagers with the cops that ended early morning. The villagers, including Jhunu Malik, ward member of Barikia village, have alleged that the police conducted a door-to-door search in the village in the absence of the Magistrate and without a search warrant. The villagers also alleged that police took away gold and cash from the houses of the village while seizing the ganja. Police are trying to identify the accused through the video captured during the incident and all the accused involved in the incident will be arrested soon, said the police.
