Amid heavy deployment of police in and around Chhend Colony here on Thursday, six persons from tribal and non-tribal groups were arrested for allegedly inciting ethnic and communal hatred leading to riot-like situation five days back.
Reports said apprehending fresh eruption of law and order problem, police and personnel of the riot control wing were deployed at all routes leading to the colony. The dual objectives were to prevent tribal and non-tribal groups from creating further disturbance and restrict entry of mischievous elements from outside.
Zone-I DSP RK Bhoi said 11 platoons of forces were deployed at strategic areas while 22 platoons were kept ready but no untoward incident was reported. Besides the six accused persons of Tulsitola and Kalingbihar areas, more than 30 others were also identified who would be arrested later.
On Saturday last, tribal residents of Tulsitola near Kalinga Vihar of Chhend Colony, opposing Durga Puja celebration, had tried to forcibly acquire the community puja ground and also locked up a temple. Warring tribal and non-tribal groups again assembled in the evening and resorted to stone pelting before police contained the flare-up.
Simultaneously, another tribal group of Bagbudi slum forcibly acquired a patch of land used for Ganesh Puja and in retaliation, non-tribal residents resorted to road blockade twice. However, no action was taken against them as they did not resort to violence.
Chhend IIC Sylvarious Toppo said Pratap Pradhan, Prasanna Panigrahi and Bata Krishna Dalei of the Kaling Vihar Durga Puja Committee and Ananta Bara, Johnson Xalxo and Ajit Xalxo of Tulsitola who played active role in inciting violence were forwarded to court on Wednesday. Administrative sources said the police action was aimed at sending a strong message that disturbances on communal and ethnic basis would not be tolerated.