Joda: Tension flared over alleged smuggling of beef in this mining town after members of right-wing Bajrang Dal group detained a van that was allegedly carrying beef at the bus stand here in Keonjhar district Monday.
Bajrang Dal members on finding beef loaded in the van informed Joda police and closed down all the shops and business establishments in the town demanding arrest of the accused. The shops were closed for nearly eight hours.
As a result, members of Hindu and Muslim communities had a face-off with each other as the latter were slated to take out a procession on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad.
The right-wing members however objected to the rally in the town. The rally was however later taken out at 2.30 pm in the presence of police. Bajrang Dal members opposing cattle smuggling and cow slaughter also took out a rally in the evening.
Later, in the afternoon, police arrested beef trader Mehboob Alam of Joda and van driver Md Danis of Champua and registered a case against them under Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, Joda IIC Sumit Kumar Soren said.
The incident occurred when Bajrang Dal activists noticed the speeding van from Champua and tried to detain it first at Kalapahada Square. The driver instead of stopping sped towards Joda and was finally detained at the bus stand by members of the outfit.
Joda police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control after assuring that the cattle trader responsible for smuggling would be arrested. Police detained the van driver and later held talks with elders of the minority community in the town. The community members assured to handover the accused person if the police provided him security.
The members of the right-wing outfit apart from closing down the shops also staged a road blockade at State Bank Square demanding arrest of the accused. Tension was palpable in the area as Barbil SDPO Purusottam Sethy deployed a large posse of policemen on the spot and visited the slum of the minority community with Joda IIC Soren and held talks with residents.
Sources said the beef contained in the van was being supplied to various hotels in the area. PNN