A routine late-night patrol in Jagatsinghpur exploded into a bloodied street battle after alleged drug traffickers tried to mow down police and then set upon a Home Guard with hockey sticks and bamboo poles.
By Sunday, police had rounded up six accused — including the much-talked-about Parija brothers — seized their vehicles and paraded them through the heart of town.
The clash broke out late Saturday during patrolling, after police received information of illegal drug dealing. When officers moved in, the suspects allegedly tried to escape by ramming a car at the team.
In the melee that followed, Home Guard Nityananda Senapati was seriously injured. He later alleged that the attackers not only used the vehicle but also beat him with hockey sticks and bamboo, breaking his hand and trying to kill him.
A PCR van reached the spot, pulled Senapati out and rushed him to Jagatsinghpur District Headquarters Hospital. From the scene itself, police managed to catch the two main accused: Vicky alias Soumyajit Parija (36) and his brother Jacky alias Swapnajit Parija (26), sons of Suresh Parija of Ohala village.
Four others slipped away into the dark with a Swift Desire. They did not stay free for long.
On the orders of Superintendent of Police Ankit Verma, Town Police Station officer-in-charge Sushant Kumar Sahu formed three teams and launched raids through the night. By morning, the remaining accused were in custody:
- Raja Maharana (24), son of Sulekh Maharana of Mangalpur
- Md. Umar Farooq (26), son of Md. Ansar of Deuli Grameswar
- Rahul Raut (22), son of Dukhishyam Raut of Patsara
- Sk Mousam (36), son of Sek Muna of Lala Sahi
Police registered Case No. 652/26 and forwarded all six to court.
A familiar name in the files
Vicky Parija is no first-timer. Police say several criminal cases stand against him. He had earlier been caught by the STF in a brown-sugar racket valued at more than Rs 1 crore. Local officers also recall the brothers’ earlier run-ins with the so-called “Don Brothers” network linked to brown-sugar trade in the district.
That history is why Sunday’s parade was meant to send a message. With the gravity of the attack in mind, police took the accused through the main city roads under tight security and conducted a scene recreation near College Square — the same stretch where the confrontation had unfolded.
From the spot, police seized one car, mobile phones, three hockey sticks and four motorcycles.
“No relief” ahead of festival season
Addressing the press, SP Ankit Verma said the festival season is approaching and such open defiance — an attempt on the lives of police personnel — is a direct challenge to law and order. There will be no softness, he warned; the strictest possible action will follow.
Sadar DSP Dibya Ranjan Nath and Town PS IIC Sushant Kumar Sahu were present at the briefing. Nath said police first overpowered the two principal accused at the scene and then hunted down the rest through overnight raids.
For Jagatsinghpur, the images of Sunday were stark: a Home Guard in hospital, hockey sticks in the seizure list, and six accused walked through the busiest roads of town. Police want that picture to linger — especially with the festive weeks ahead.
