Balugaon: Four devotees were rendered critical following a group clash over passing of lewd comments on college girls during the pulling of the Nandighosa on the occasion of Bahuda Yatra at Banpur market under this police limits in Khurda district Sunday evening.
The injured were rescued and admitted to Balugaon community health centre (CHC). One of them was shifted to a Bhubaneswar-based hospital as his condition worsened. He was identified as Sanjay Pradhan alias Somu.
According to sources, a rift prevailed between two groups of Banpur over passing of comments on college girls and alleged smuggling of cows in the area. Earlier, two persons were injured in a clash between the two groups at Raghunath Sahi, a month back.
A youth had been arrested in this connection. Since then, tension continued between the two groups.
On Monday morning, Prasant Kumar Pradhan, a local youth, was sitting near a tea shop. Meanwhile, some youths of the other group reached the place and assaulted Pradhan. Balugaon police rescued and admitted him to the local CHC. Since then, Pradhan’s friends were looking for a chance.
Meanwhile, during the pulling of the chariots for Bahuda Yatra in the evening, Pradhan’s friends passed lewd comments that further led to another group clash in which three were injured.
After getting information, Balugaon SDPO reached the spot with a police platoon and brought the situation under control. Two separate cases were registered and a probe was launched.
Meanwhile, the police have arrested six persons of both the groups. They have been identified as Sheikh Safik, Sheikh Hamid, Md Sahibuddin, Sourabhuddin Khan of one group and Sanyasi Pradhan and Prasant Pradhan of another group.
PNN