Nayagarh: Irked villagers of Baunsagada under Ranpur police limits in Nayagarh district beat up several members of a family Friday accusing them of hiding a Kerala returnee member of their family inside their house.
Tension gripped the village as the police did not take immediate steps in this connection even though a report was filed with them.
According to a source, 45 years old Banambar Pradhan has been working in Kerala for eight years now. Even though, he comes back to his house periodically, this time he is stuck in Kerala owing to the nation-wide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus.
That said, some of the villagers suspected Banambar to have returned and hiding in his house without informing the administration. They confronted Banambar’s son Biswajit (17) over the issue Friday. Despite the minor’s repeated refusal pertaining to his father’s absence at home, he was roughed up. Villagers did not spare Biswajit’s mother Kabita (37) when she came to her son’s rescue.
Later they forcibly entered into their house to see for themselves if Banambar was hiding inside the house and attacked Kabita’s mother-in-law Bilasa (65) and the former’s co-sister-in-law Surat (40).
Ranpur police station inspector-in-charge Rashmiranjan Dash, meanwhile, refused to answer questions pertaining to the incident and subsequent police action.
PNN