Rayagada town witnessed fresh tension on Friday night as rival groups clashed violently outside the police station, leaving three persons seriously injured.
The incident is directly linked to the recent Nikhil murder case.
Reports said youths from Pitla Sahi entered Relli Sahi and allegedly misbehaved with locals using abusive language. Residents of Pitla Sahi lodged a complaint at the police station. During this time, youths from Relli Sahi arrived and created a ruckus. The situation escalated into a full-scale clash involving stone pelting and physical assault.
Three persons sustained serious injuries in the violence. The injured were identified as Annamajhi Yakka and Trinath Meleka from Pitla Sahi, and Shundi Suraj from Relli Sahi. All were rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital for treatment.
Heavy police forces have been deployed outside the police station to maintain law and order. Senior officers, including ASP Ramendra Kumar, SDPO Gaurahari Sahu, and IIC Prasanna Behera, are monitoring the situation. Additional officers from nearby stations have also been called in.
