Boinda: Tension gripped Parsumal village under Handpa police limits of Kishorenagar block in Jajpur district following ‘child lifting’ scare and suspicion Friday.
Villagers expressed resentment after police tried to release a youth who was caught by the locals while roaming suspiciously in the area and handed him over to the police. Police attempt to free the suspect had angered the villagers who detained the police personnel for 10 hours.
The villagers punctured the tyres of the police van and detained the cops who had gone to the village throughout the night. Later, the agitators staged a road blockade on Nakichi-Thakurgard main road, expressing their resentment.
According to villagers, around six unidentified miscreants arrived on a Bolero and motorbikes at around 2am late Thursday night. Suspecting their doubtful movements, locals got together armed with lathis and sharp-edged weapons after someone alerted they were child lifters.
Seeing the villagers, the youths tried to escape from the village. However, the villagers caught hold of a biker and thrashed him. Later, the police were called and the youth was handed over to the police.
Meanwhile, the police tried to release the youth without any interrogation. This angered the villagers who picketed both the youth and the police in the village.
The police tried to convince the villagers that child lifting was just a rumour. However, the villagers were not in a mood to be convinced. Later, senior officials reached the village Friday noon and rescued the cops.
A case was registered against the villagers and a probe was on. No one has been arrested yet in this connection.