Basudevpur: Tension gripped Basudevpur market in Bhadrak district Saturday after police and public entered into a melee after the cops tried to seize the articles of a sealed shop.
The shop named Durga Agency had cheated several gullible people to the tune of Rs 2 crore promising them of various articles at a cheap rate. Later the owner of the shop did a moonlight flit. A week ago, the police had sealed the shop after the customers created a ruckus in front of the shop.
In the presence of administrative officials, the police were Saturday trying to cut the lock of the shop to seize the articles when some of the victims reached the scene and opposed the cops. Later more such people joined them and opposed the administration and police, leading to a minor clash between the cops and the victim customers.
Later hundreds of people staged a roadblock at the market by placing burning tyres. They asked why the police, instead of arresting the owner of the shop, were trying to seize articles from the already sealed shop.
Meanwhile, block development officer Pranab Kumar Behera and inspector-in-charge Madhumita Mohanty reached the spot and tried to pacify the agitators. Two platoons of force have been deployed to avoid any kind of untoward incident.
The police, for the time being, have not taken any article from the shop.
It may be mentioned here that a man from another state had opened the shop and had promised the people to sell various articles including home appliances at a lesser price and in instalments. Many people rose to the bait and deposited their hard-earned money amounting to about Rs 2 crore with the shop hoping to get their desired articles.
Last Saturday, when some of the customers reached the shop to take home their ordered articles, they found the shop closed. It took them no time to realise that they had been duped. The police subsequently reached the spot and sealed the shop after the customers created a ruckus at the spot.
PNN