BHUBANESWAR: The communal flare-up in Jadupur, on the outskirts of Capital City, reached a flashpoint on Monday as clashing groups went on a rampage destroying property and targeting policemen.
Five police personnel including Bhubaneswar DCP Satyabrata Bhoi suffered injuries when the violent mob resorted to heavy stone-pelting prompting the Commissionerare Police to conduct a flag march at Raghunath Nagar Market in Dumduma.
Though a posse of policemen remained guard all through Sunday night, the two communities continued to engage in violence in different parts of Dumduma, Jadupur and Sarkantara where prohibitory orders were clamped. On Monday morning, a group of miscreants torched two meat shops at Aiginia and vandalised three others near AIIMS aggravating the situation further.
With the mob in no mood to relent, police resorted to baton charge, lobbed teargas shells and fired rubber bullets on the rioters as the latter attempted to break a police cordon deployed on the border of Jadupur and Sarkantara villages during Monday afternoon.
Later, police conducted flag march on the two-km stretch of Dumduma market, Sarkantara and Jadupur. Police Commissioner YB Khurania and Bhoi camped at the spot to monitor the situation. At least 10 platoons of police force have been deployed in the area while seven IICs, four ACPs and three Additional DCPs are camping to keep a close watch on the situation.
So far, the police have arrested 17 persons from the two groups in connection with the violence and arson. Those acting as provocateurs have also been identified and more arrests can not be ruled out.
To resolve the crisis, a meeting of the peace committee comprising leaders of the two villages was held in the evening and demands were presented by both the sides.
Police Commissioner Khurania said, the situation is under control and the two sides have agreed not to resort to any activity which could derail the peace process. “More meetings will be held in the days to come to resolve the long-standing differences,” he added.
The area plunged into a crisis on Saturday when a youth from Sarakantara village was hit by a motorcyclist belonging to Jadupur near Syed Mumtaz Ali High School. The motorcyclist was allegedly thrashed by the villagers of Sarakantara before he managed to escape.
On Sunday morning, the situation took an ugly turn when a teenager of Sarakantara was beaten up by Jadupur locals to avenge the previous night’s incident. Later, a group of miscreants ransacked the shops at Raghunath Nagar market. Three groups from Sarakantara, Jadupur and Raghunath Nagar clashed with weapons and pelted stones at each other leaving five persons injured.
However, police rushed to the spot to defuse tension. Prohibitory orders were later clamped when violence did not abate.
Timeline
Saturday 8.30 pm - Minor accident at a school function
10.30 pm - Motorcyclist roughed up on two occasions
Sunday 9.50 am - Sporadic skirmishes in Jadupur, Dumduma, Sarakantara
8.45 pm - Major clash between two groups of Jadupur and Sarakantara
Monday 1 am - Six platoons force deployed, prohibitory order clamped
10.45 am - Miscreants torch meat shops owned by locals of Jadupur
1.20 pm - A mob attacks policemen deployed on the border of Jadupur and Sarakantara
7 pm - Peace Committee meeting held. Issues to be resolved amicably in two subsequent meetings