BARIPADA: Tension escalated in the Badasahi area of Mayurbhanj district on Wednesday after an angry mob attacked the sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Betnoti and inspector-in-charge (IIC) of Badasahi police station while they were attempting to resolve a land dispute in Belpal. Both the officers have sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment at Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital (PRM MCH) here.
Police sources said, the violent incident occurred when the SDPO Sudarshan Das and IIC Umasankar Nayak were addressing a longstanding land conflict.
According to sources, the dispute originated when a local businessman defaulted on a bank loan. The bank, after failing to recover the debt, leased the property to another party who established an ash brick factory. The original landowner sought legal recourse and won a court order to reclaim the property. The court instructed local police to facilitate the transfer of land back to the original owner. Following the court’s directive, IIC Nayak, accompanied by SDPO Das and a team of officers, arrived in Belpal to enforce the court’s decision.
However, the new occupant, who had obtained the land from the bank, resisted the transfer. This resistance led to a confrontation between supporters of both parties. As tension flared, attempts by the police to mediate were met with hostility. The altercation quickly escalated, resulting in the assault.
The crowd damaged police vehicles and blocked the village road. A platoon of police force has been deployed to maintain order. However, no official statement has been released by the injured officers so far.