Digapahandi: Registering cases under ‘attempt to murder’ against 20 persons for attacking the tehsildar and enforcement team Saturday, police Monday staged a flag march in Choudhury Tikarapara village under Digapahandi block in Ganjam district.
The police have registered a case (Case No-178/20) against 20 villagers in the FIR, informed IIC Madhabananda Nayak. While the village wore a deserted look with all the male members having left the village fearing arrest, armed police force led by Chikiti sub-divisional police officer Surendranath Murmu and IIC Nayak staged a flag march against the attack.
According to the police sources, Digapahandi tehsildar Adwaita Kumar Swain along with members of the enforcement team had gone to the village after getting a complaint that COVID norms were being violated while celebrating Ganesh Puja.
After inspection, they had sealed off two shops and ordered closure of other shops that were open till evening, violating COVID norms. At the same time, the puja mandap was also closed as there was gross violation of social distancing norms.
It was when tehsildar Swain asked the shopkeepers to pay fines for violating the norms that he and the team were gheraoed by the villagers forcing them to abandon their duty.
The villagers allegedly manhandled the tehsildar chiding him for not being able to check illegal sand mining and take action against the sand mafias.
After three long hours, K Nugaon police and Berhampur sub-collector Sindhe Dattatraya Bhausaheb reached the village and rescued the captive tehsildar and others.
The irate villagers also caused damage to the tehsildar’s vehicle, it was learnt.
PNN
