Rourkela: Police arrested Sunday three persons related to the clash between two groups of puja revellers. An incidence of brawl Thursday over idol immersion has now boiled into a major headache for the police. Officials of the Raghunathpalli police station initially detained four persons and finally arrested three Sunday after interrogation, Upasana Padhi, SDPO informed. “We have arrested them based on two FIRs filed against the three accused.
So far a total of four FIRs have been filed,” said the lady officer. We have deployed forces at the disturbed areas to avoid any further incidents,” she added. There is palpable tension in the Keshari Nagar area, close to Labour Tenement near Jail road. The residents there are very much enraged about Saturday night’s incident of arson.
Many of them directly blamed the police for their delayed and callous action. “Despite being summoned, the police arrived quite late. All that time the mischief mongers were ransacking our area and the club building,” informed a person. “There were over 25-30 youths who brandished swords and other weapons and created havoc for over 30 minutes in the evening and the police arrived only after they left,” another bystander added. The first instance of trouble started Thursday when the STI Phatak puja committee members were going for the immersion of an idol. When the procession was passing through Keshari Nagar, some of its members had an altercation with the locals of the area. However, police did not let the situation get out of control.
However, Friday when Keshari Nagar committee members were out for immersion they had an argument with some youths of the STI committee near ITI gate. Again, the police intervened and prevented the situation from going out of control. However, Saturday night at around 7.30pm nearly 25-30 youths armed with swords and other weapons went on a rampage in Keshari Nagar locality. They ransacked shops, residence and the club room from which the Keshari Nagar committee operates. The hooligans also set two bikes on fire. There is a simmering tension in the area despite the posting of a police picket, locals said.