BALASORE: An assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of police was injured while trying to pacify residents of two villages of Balasore and Mayurbhanj district who clashed with each other over a petty issue on Tuesday. The police have arrested13 persons from both the villages in this connection.
The injured ASI Rajendra Nayak, in-charge of Haladipada Police Outpost has been admitted to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH). Two other cops accompanying him were also thrashed badly.
Sources said, informed about a group clash between villagers of Kalama under Baisinga police limits in Mayurbhanj district and Bankatira under Sadar police limits in Balasore district, a police team led by Nayak had rushed to the spot to control the situation.
“As Nayak arrived at Kalama Chhack where two groups were indulged in a group clash, irate villagers attacked Nayak brutally injuring him seriously and ransacked the police vehicle. He was soon rushed to a nearby hospital along with two villagers, who were also injured in the clash,” said a police official.
It all began on December 31 night when a group of youngsters from Bankatira assaulted a youth during a religious event at Kalama following which Kalama villagers set ablaze a shop at Bankatira Chhack.
Though Kalama police had arrested a youth from the other group for the incident, no action was taken against those involved in shop torching. A peace committee meeting convened a day ago also failed to resolve the ambiguity between the two groups.
As palpable tension was brewing between the two villagers over the issue, police said, a group of villagers kidnapped a youth from Kalama and attacked him which further led to a group clash on Tuesday.
Both the groups had also blocked the NH-18 demanding action against each other.
Balasore SP Niti Sekhar and senior police officials from both the districts arrived at the spot and brought the situation under control. "We have arrested eight persons from Balasore village while five have been arrested from Kalama by Mayurbhanj police. The situation is normal now," the SP added.
Meanwhile, two platoons of the armed police force have been deployed in the area to thwart any further untoward incident.