NUAPADA: 26 people including 22 women were arrested in Nuapada on Monday for allegedly assaulting personnel of Jonk police station. The incident took place on Sunday at Irani Pada under Khariar NAC when a team of Jonk police led by sub-inspector Arbind Meher had gone to the locality to arrest two persons against whom arrest warrants were issued for non-bailable offences committed in 2020.
However, the residents tried to prevent the team from entering the locality and arrest the accused. While the residents initially jostled with the police team, the scuffle intensified as they started attacking the personnel by pelting stones at them.
Meher sustained injuries after being hit by a stone. The mob was overpowered by reinforcement led by Jonk IIC Kailash Chandra Sethi. Though one of the accused managed to escape, another was arrested by the police. The injured personnel were sent to Khariar CHC for treatment.
Sethi said, all the 26 miscreants including 22 women were identified following investigation on Sunday and forwarded to the court on the day. “We had deployed two platoons of police at the spot on Sunday. However, as the situation was under control, we withdrew the force but patrolling is being conducted in the area at regular intervals,” he said.
Irani Pada is inhabited by migrant Iranis and most of them are women. Of the 22 women arrested in connection with the attack, some have babies as young as eight month old. Meanwhile, the police have launched a manhunt to nab the other accused who is at large.