BHADRAK: Tension flared up at Alinagar under Karada panchayat in Dhamnagar Assembly segment after villagers detained a police team headed by the local IIC for allegedly turning a blind eye to distribution of money among voters on Sunday. Dhamnagar IIC Banamali Barik and his team were detained for five hours before SDPO Bijay Krushna Mohapatra rescued them from the clutches of irate villagers.
Sources said villagers led by BJP leader Biswajit Das reportedly caught Ramesh Acharya, brother of Karada sarpanch Mamata Acharya, and seized thousands of rupees from his possession. They alleged that Ramesh had come to the village to distribute money among voters.
Soon, local BJD workers reached the spot and there was allegedly a face-off between them. On being informed, IIC Barik along with two police personnel rushed to the spot. In the meantime, Ramesh managed to escape from the spot.
Accusing police of helping Ramesh to escape, villagers detained the IIC and his team. Subsequently, SDPO Mohapatra rushed to the spot and managed to release the police team after holding marathon discussions with villagers. The villagers later filed an FIR with police in this connection.
BJP State president Sameer Mohanty alleged that around 1,300 villagers including women, most of whom are BJP leaders, have been booked under section 107 of CrPC by police for the incident. Contacted, DSP Mohapatra and IIC Barik said they are too busy to comment on the matter.