BARGARH/JAGATSINGHPUR: Violent face-offs between cops and villagers over ‘aggressive policing’ for the second phase panchayat polls were reported in two different districts. In Bargarh, villagers of Kathaumal gram panchayat in Gaisilat block attacked police personnel and vandalised their vehicle outside a voting station during polling on Friday. The face-off was allegedly due to the high-handedness of police.
Sources said while polling was underway at Kathaumal village, a police team led by IIC B Bhagat reached the booth and used excessive force to make the voters stand in queue. Villagers alleged that police assaulted several voters including women and even misbehaved with them.
Following the incident, an irate mob surrounded the police personnel deployed at the booth and attacked them. Villagers resorted to stone pelting in which the IIC sustained injuries. They also damaged the police vehicle. To control the situation, additional force was called and police had to resort to mild lathi-charge to disperse the villagers.
A villager present at the spot said though the booth was crowded, voting was going on peacefully. Suddenly, police reached the booth and instead of politely asking voters to stand in queue, they started hitting villagers with lathi. Majority of the voters present at the booth were women who were also not spared by the cops, he claimed.
Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Padampur BB Bhoi claimed that it was a minor scuffle. When a police patrolling team reached the booth, a tussle broke out with voters. However, the situation was brought under control and polling passed off peacefully.
Similarly in Jagatsinghpur, another police-public face-off was reported from Haveli Nath Sahi village under Palli panchayat on Thursday night. The clash broke out after police stopped a feast in the village by throwing sand in the food prepared for the occasion. While police vehicles were vandalised, 10 persons and two constables sustained injuries in the incident.
Sources said villagers had arranged a community feast before the second phase polling on Friday. Getting information, police rushed to the spot and asked the villagers to stop the feast. When villagers refused, police personnel poured sand in the dishes prepared for the feast. This led to the scuffle.
Police resorted to lathi-charge in which 10 villagers were injured. When some villagers were being taken to the police station, an irate mob of women attacked the cops and vandalised their vehicle.Jagatsinghpur IIC Pravash Sahu said two constables were injured in the clash. Police have registered two separate cases in this connection. No one has been arrested so far. Despite the face-off, polling was peaceful on Friday.
In a separate incident, villagers of Korua panchayat in Naugaon block vandalised local MLA Prasant Muduli’s vehicle and attacked his driver when the legislator was canvassing for BJD-backed candidates on Thursday night. Basing on the driver’s complaint, police have registered a case and investigating the matter.