BALASORE: A couple sustained grievous injuries after being brutally attacked by a mob inside Remuna police station here on Tuesday night. They were identified as Raghunath Sahoo and his wife Pramita Das of Mandarpur village. The incident took place at around 10.30 pm in the night when the couple had gone to lodge complaint against some people of Nianbag village over past enmity.
When the couple was filing the FIR, a mob of around 200 armed villagers of Nianbag barged into the police station and attacked them. Though the cops present there tried to intervene, the mob went on a rampage and vandalised the furniture inside the police station.
Sources said the couple’s son Sambhab Sahoo had business and political rivalry with some villagers of Nianbag village. Three days back, a dispute arose between Sambhab and his rivals. On Tuesday, a group of people from Nianbag reached Sambhab’s house and threatened him with dire consequences. Worried, the couple went to the police station to lodge a complaint. However, their rivals got to know about the development and went to the police station with their accomplices.
Sustaining grievous injuries, the couple was rushed to Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital by police. As the mob refused to vacate the premises, Remuna IIC Sriballav Sahoo called the district police headquarters and sought more force to bring the situation under control. Sources said two platoons of force have been deployed at Remuna police station to avert any untoward incident.
The IIC said the couple had come to the police station after some villagers of Nianbag reached their house and threatened them. “We were about to visit their village for inquiry when more than 200 armed persons forcefully entered the police station and attacked the couple. Both have received serious injuries,” Sahoo informed.
On Wednesday, Sambhab and some villagers of Mandarpur blocked the Remuna-Balasore road in front of the police station protesting the delay in investigation into the incident. Vehicular traffic was disrupted for several hours due to the road blockade. The IIC said though no complaint has been filed by the couple, action will be taken against the accused basing on the CCTV footage.