BHUBANESWAR: Commissionerate police stopped more than 40 members of National Confederation of Dalit Organisations (NACDOR) at Sishu Bhawan Square here on Saturday while they were trying to march towards Naveen Nivas, the Chief Minister's residence.
Capital police also arrested five members of the organisation in this connection.
The incident occurred at 6 am in the morning when the agitating members tried to violate Section 144 which has been clamped in the periphery of CM's residence. Soon after, a team of police officials rushed to the spot and tried to disperse the crowd. This led to a minor scuffle between the protestors and police. In a similar incident on July 30, dalits had made a similar attempt but were apprehended by police near Sishu Bhawan.
The members were protesting the recent incident of an alleged assault on members of a dalit family at Badapata village in Jatni.
After the attack, the victims, with the help of NACDOR, had approached the local police on three occasions demanding action against the accused.
The protestors alleged police inaction in the matter as a few influential persons were involved in the attack.
The members had staged a dharna over the matter on July 27 at Lower PMG and submitted a memorandum to the Commissioner of Police RP Sharma demanding immediate arrest of persons involved in the assault.
The arrested were identified as Ashok Malik, Litu Das, Dusa Bhoi, Bijay Kumar Bhoi and Sukant Bhoi. They have been charged with several Sections of the IPC, Urban Police Act and Law Amendment Act.
Police said, the arrested have been sent to judicial custody.