Bhubaneswar: Three police personnel including the IIC of Khandagiri police station, Himanshu Bhusan Swain, sustained severe injuries when an irate mob attacked the policemen with petrol bombs, stones and swords during a melee.
Residents of Jagannath Nagar and some shop keepers of the area reportedly attacked some youths, who were extorting them Saturday. Though the residents handed over two of them – Agni Sarangi and Balia Routray – after beating them up black and blue to the police, the latter released them after getting them treated at Capital Hospital.
The residents of Jagannath Nagar, numbering around 500, went on a rampage late Monday night when they attacked the police deployed there with stones, petrol bombs and swords leaving three of them injured. The injured trio has been admitted to SUM Hospital.
Around five platoons of police were deployed there to tackle any untoward incident.
The angry villagers had also ransacked Balia’s hotel at Aiginia square Sunday night.
After their release, Balia and Agni rushed to the market around 8.30pm Monday night with the weapons. The act of the duo worsened the situation as the residents and shop keepers went berserk. They burnt down the hotel of Balia into ashes. The IIC who came to placate them was injured after he was hit by stones. The PCR van was also damaged by the villagers.