Cuttack: Police Tuesday detained five persons in connection with the group clash that triggered communal tension at Narendrapur and Kakudiapara villages under Nemala police limits in Cuttack district Monday.
Meanwhile, Central Range IG Soumendra Priyadarshi and Cuttack Rural SP Madhav Chandra Sahoo visited the spot and requested the villagers to maintain harmony in the region.
“The detainees are being questioned and the restriction imposed under Section 144 of the CrPC will be in force for today. Even though the situation is under control, as many as five platoons of police force have been deployed at the spot to prevent any untoward incident”, the SP informed.
The authorities had imposed Section 144 at the village Monday following a group clash in the area.
According to reports, the row started when a trolley rickshaw of Biswanath Behera hit Sonu Behera at Gopal Sahi in Narendrapur village. This led to a fight between them. Enraged, Sonu went to neighbouring Kakudiapada village and sought the help of some youths.
Two youths responded to his call and assaulted Biswanath and his father. However, the locals intervened and overpowered them.
A few hours later, hundreds of youths from Kakudiapada armed with sharp-edged weapons reached Gopal Sahi and assaulted people.
The injured were admitted to a local hospital.
Irate locals demanding the arrest of the accused blocked the Katikata-Jaipur road in the area.
Police rushed to the spot and tried to pacify people but members of both the communities pelted stones at each other and torched a police vehicle.