DHENKANAL: Four teachers including two women engaged in census work were injured after being allegedly attacked by a man and his two sons in Kamakhyanagar area here on Wednesday.
Police said accused Nikunja Satpathy (65) and his sons Udit Swapna Satpathy (36) and Bhanu Satpathy (32) were arrested for assaulting the four census staff members.
Sources said as part of the census exercise, Madhusmita Behera, Swarnaprabha Sahu, Satish Behera and Raghunath Dikhit were engaged in household data collection at Mahima Nagar in ward no 3 of Kamakhyanagar NAC. At around 9 am, the census staff went to Nikunja’s house and as soon as they entered the building, the accused and his two sons allegedly assaulted them with blows and sticks without any provocation.
To save themselves, the teachers immediately ran out of the house. However, the accused trio followed them outside and continued their assault. They also reportedly vandalised the scooter of one of the victims and snatched their mobile phones.
On being informed, a team led by sub-collector Dinabandhu Naik, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Rajanikanta Samal and IIC Jitendra Mallick rushed to the spot and rescued the census staff.
Dikhit later lodged a complaint with Kamakhyanagar police. He stated that two days ago, he along with three other teachers had gone to ward no 3 for the census work. During the exercise, Nikunja reportedly did not cooperate and refused to provide details of his family members. When the census team reached his house again on the day, the accused and his sons assaulted them, claimed Dikhit.
Police said basing on the complaint, a case was registered and the three accused arrested. Nikunja is a retired bank officer and appears to be mentally unstable. He and his two sons were produced in court and remanded in judicial custody.