Odisha Police Urge Public Fact-Checking, Warns Rumour-Mongers of Stern Action

As the dust settles on the violence that erupted late Friday, authorities have clamped down with a 36-hour curfew and a sweeping 24-hour internet suspension, all while pleading with residents to verify facts before fueling the flames of discord online.

The unrest ignited around 1:30 a.m. on October 5 near Haathi Pokhari in the sensitive Dargah Bazaar area, a bustling Muslim-majority neighbourhood known for its interfaith fabric. Revellers carrying the goddess Durga’s idol toward the Kathajodi River for immersion were met with objections from locals over the blaring music that pierced the quiet night. What started as heated words quickly escalated into chaos: stones and glass bottles rained down from rooftops, shattering the festive mood and drawing blood. Among the wounded were at least eight police officers, including Deputy Commissioner of Police Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo, who was hit during the melee. By dawn, the skirmishes had spread like wildfire. Rioters torched shops and vehicles in retaliation, prompting fire crews to battle blazes at eight to ten spots near Gouri Shankar Park.

Videos circulating before the digital blackout showed plumes of smoke rising over narrow lanes, with police in riot gear forming human barriers amid cries and sirens.

Essential services like hospitals and milk distribution were exempted, but the city wore a ghost-town pallor, its silver filigree shops shuttered and streets patrolled by flag marches of heavily armed forces.