CUTTACK: Incidents of pre and post-poll violence reported from different blocks of Cuttack district have put the administration and the rural police in a spot. As many as three persons sustained head injuries following a group clash between two factions of the BJD at Sardarkharida village under Badasamantrapur panchayat in Athagarh block on Sunday night.
The clash broke out when a group of dissident BJD workers was allegedly trying to influence voters in the village at around 11 pm. As the other group protested, they attacked them with sticks and iron rods. The injured were admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital.
Acting on an FIR filed by one of the groups, Choudwar police initiated a probe into the violence and arrested three persons including dissident BJD leader Abhay Barik of Athagarh, informed Choudwar IIC Biranchi Narayan Pati.
In another incident, residents of Manitri under Kandarei panchayat in Athagarh block detained two persons for allegedly distributing cash for votes on Sunday night at around 11.30 pm. Police said five persons who had arrived in the village in two vehicles were distributing money to voters for sarpanch candidate Gyana Ranjan Das when the villagers rushed to the spot and nabbed two of them. The rest three managed to flee leaving behind the vehicles which were damaged by the locals.
The two persons, who were held captive in a house in the village were rescued by Khuntuni police. The villagers also handed over `18,000 cash which was seized from the duo to the police, said Khuntuni IIC Bhabani Shankar Khuntia.
However, the accused told the police that they were returning home after having dinner in a hotel near the village when they were attacked. “A case has been registered and investigation into the incident is on,” said Khuntia.
Similarly, in an instance of post-poll violence, two shops were set on fire by some miscreants at Ratapat village under Badamba block on Sunday night following a quarrel and confrontation between local BJD and BJP workers over polling. The shops belonged to Suresh Kanhar and Mihir Pradhan. The miscreants who torched Pradhan’s four-wheeler also ransacked a stationary shop and saloon at Ratapata market.
Following the incident, two platoons of police force have been deployed in the village to avert any untoward incident. In another incident, tension prevailed after it was alleged that Nischintakoili BDO Karnadev Samadar had entered the ballot box strong room set up on the premises of Panchayat Prahallad College alone. Hundreds of people from 30 panchayats in the block rushed to the spot and staged a road blockade on Cuttack-Chandbali State Highway near the college demanding the transfer of the BDO alleging foul play.
Later, acting on the direction of Collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani, Sub-Collector Pratap Beuria reached the spot and pacified the irate mob by showing them the CCTV footage to prove the BDO had not entered the strong room and had only been to the strong room corridor to change the direction of the CCTV monitor installed on the college premises.