Nayagarh: Over 500 people Saturday attacked Godipada police outpost and hurled bombs and stones to protest police inaction in arrest of man involved in a murder case.
The police outpost and nearby market place turned into a war field with irate locals getting into a pitched battle with police. As the situation went out of the control, police clamped Section 144 to disperse the mob.
Irate people still did not relent and the police had to resort to lathi-charge, blank firing and lob tear gas to diffuse the crowd.
The war between police and people continued for three hours between 10 am and 1 pm. The situation was brought under control after the intervention of Nayagarh district collector Hemant Kumar Padhi and superintendent of police Manoranjan Mohanty.
The situation, however, continued to remain tense in Godipada and Keshapania villages. Six platoons of police forces have been deployed there to maintain peace.
According to sources, body of a temple priest Rankanidhi Mohapatra was recovered from beneath a bridge near Khairaput school December 16. His wife lodged a complaint at Godipada outpost mentioning that Rankanidhi was killed by his cousin brother Akhil Mohapatra for property.
The villagers alleged that the police, after arresting the accused, released him.
A group of villagers barged into the outpost Saturday morning and demanded arrest of Akhil. They were discussing with Odagaon Tehsildar Jayashree Senapati, who was present at the outpost at that time.
All of a sudden, a group of people entered the outpost and attacked lady home guard Shailabala Mohapatra. Rankanidhi’s sister Mamata Mohapatra (29) punched the home guard in her face leaving her bleeding. People also pushed Sharankula sub-divisional police officer T Jagarao to the ground and attacked him.
They went on pelting stones and bricks at the police station and hurled at least seven bombs at the building. Nobody was injured in the blasts. The protesters then ransacked a police jeep parked at the place.
Additional superintendent of police Sridhar Pani, outpost officer Ramesh Chandra Sahu, inspector Mamata Pati, constable Rakesh Kumar Pradhan and a few policemen and home guards were injured in the fracas. Some locals were also wounded in the lathi-charge.
Rankanidhi’s sister Mamata, Sunil Sarangi (26) of Godipada, Sushant Senapati (29) and Mahendra Bhuyan (45) were detained by the police.
When contacted, Nayagarh sub-collector Nrusinghacharan Swain said police had detained a person in connection with the murder. He was shifted from Godipada outpost to Sharankula police station for interrogation. Police would take action against the accused of the murder case.
He, however, condemned the attack on police by the villagers. He added that people involved in the assault will be arrested soon. PNN