BALSORE: Remuna police on Monday arrested 10 persons in connection with the stone pelting incident that took place during Hanuman Jayanti celebration, leaving scores of people injured.
All the arrested persons are from one community of Ganipur area. They were apprehended on the basis of the footage of CCTV and police cameras.
Protesting the arrests, around 200 people including women staged demonstration in front of Remuna police station on the day. The agitators demanded immediate release of the arrested persons. They later called off their protest after intervention of police.
Meanwhile, the north Odisha unit of Hindu Ekta Manch demanded arrest of all the accused involved in the violence. President of the Manch Rashmi Ranjan Das claimed more than 200 people pelted stones at the Hanuman Jayanti procession leaving police and many bikers injured. Police must arrest all the accused without any delay.
Remuna IIC Artatrana Sethi said the arrested persons were produced in court and remanded in judicial custody. Efforts are underway to nab the other accused who are absconding. At least 15 platoons of police force including BSF and CISF have been deployed in Ganipur area to prevent any further flare-ups.
At around 4.40 pm on Sunday, people participating in Hanuman Jayanti celebration were taking out a rally en route to Kanaka Durga temple through a road near Ganipur village when stones were pelted at the procession. Many people suffered injuries in the stone pelting. When participants of the procession retaliated, the situation escalated into a confrontation. The violence also resulted in damage to the front windshield of SP Sagarika Nath’s vehicle.