Purushottampur: The simmering tension over social ostracisation of a resident of Sargunapalli village in Bhatakumarada panchayat under this police limits in Ganjam district has refused to abate. This has happened because the other villagers are constantly disturbing the ostracised family and not giving the latter peace of mind. The matter came to the fore again after local police arrested Monday the husband of a sarpanch of Bhatakumarada panchayat on charges of assaulting the family members of Yudhistir Nahak and a murder bid on his father. The ostracisation of the family started following a feud over installation of street lights on a utility pole in February. Then the entire village decided to boycott, Yudhistir and his family.
The accused arrested person has been identified as Indra Nahak. Indra accompanied by 10 other villagers has been accused of attacking the kin of Yudhistir, May 2. They also dragged Yudhistir’s father Prafulla out of the house and attacked him with sharp-edged weapons in an attempt to kill the latter. The attackers also assaulted Yudhistir’s mother Pramila and his brother and snatched away their phones when they resisted. Police registered a case and launched an investigation after Yudhistir lodged a complaint, May 4. Indra’s arrest sparked off tension in the village as a large number of people gheraoed the Purusottampur police station and demanded his immediate release. However, police produced him in court under tight security.
A strong security cover was also put in place around the police station to prevent any untoward incidents. SDPO Rajanikant Nahak also reached the spot and asked the people to maintain peace following which the villagers relented. The simmering tension between Yudhistir and the villagers has now divided the village into two groups and robbed the peace and tranquility that earlier prevailed.
Notably, the villagers socially boycotted Yudhistir and his family after holding him guilty in a ‘Praja’ court and also slapped a penalty of `30,000 on him. Yudhistir had lodged a complaint with police in this regard in February. Police had then registered a case and asked the villagers to withdraw the boycott order and stay peacefully with Yudhistir and his family members. Both the groups had then promised not to create any disturbance by signing an undertaking. However, now the ostracisation issue has cropped up again.