Banki: As many as seven persons affiliated with a political party have been arrested by Baideswar police late on Saturday night on charges of barging into the house of a samiti member in Kalipoi village in Cuttack’s Banki block and vandalising properties apart from attacking several others.
According to sources, the incident took place on Saturday afternoon when people were busy in celebrating Holi. A group of people hailing from Chadeibandha village under Kalipoi GP said to be affiliated to Congress party, reached in front of the house of Manorama Nayak and started hurling abuses due to defeat in the panchayat elections.
When the family members opposed such action, the group barged into Nayak’s house and resorted to vandalism. However, they did not stop will their devious thoughts and looted gold and silver ornaments worth around Rs 1.2 lakh from the samiti member’s house.
In the meantime, Manorama’s husband, Mayadhar Nayak, and a domestic helper, identified as Sarat Pradhan, who tried to stop the vandalism, sustained injuries after the group tried to hack them with sharp weapons. Before fleeing the spot, the accused persons set Nayak’s house on fire. Later, on intimation fire brigade arrived at the spot and doused the blaze. But by then the house was completely charred, sources added. Following the violence over political issues, the Nayak family lodged a complaint with the Baideswar police station.
Fumed over this, the violent group looted rice, kerosene, and other essential items from the counter of Lingaraj SHG president Sujata Patasingh of the same village.
Later, the group reached Chadeibandha village and vandalized the houses of six families who were supporters of the ruling BJD. The miscreants vandalized the houses of Madhab Jena, Damrudhar Swain, Gitanjali Swain, Debaraj Paikaray, Dilip Jena and Brajabandhi Pradhan. They vandalized one tractor, one car, five motorcycles and fled with water pumps, cooking gas cylinders, and utensils, sources said.
As per the latest reports, Brajabandhi Pradhan’s wife Lalita Manjari Pradhan and Madhab Jena’s son & daughter, who sustained injuries in the sudden attack, have been undergoing treatment at Khurda DHH. Following this, the victim families also lodged complaints with Baideswar police station.
On the basis of complaints from both the places, Baideswar police started a probe and apprehended Pramod Mahapatra, Abinash Routray, Purnachandra Chhotray, Jadu Jena, Bauribandhu Jena, Magi Jena, and Bhagwan Jena, all residents of Chadeibandha village.
A total of twelve cases (43 to 54/2022) have been and seven accused persons have been arrested. Besides, one platoon of the police force has been deployed in both the localities to avoid any other untoward incident, sources said.
Sources added that even though the villagers informed Baideswar police about the attack, no policemen showed up in time following which the tension escalated. After the miscreants fled, the police arrived at the scene to investigate, the locals alleged.
When asked about the incident over a phone call, Baideswar police station IIC Dola Gobinda Swain, remained tight-lipped and hung up the phone without saying anything. Also, Banki Sub Divisional police officer Basudev Swain also avoided picking up calls, sources further said.
