Bhubaneswar: The dwellers of a slum in Mancheswar area have alleged increase in the atrocities of a hooligan due to police laxity in taking any stringent action against the miscreant. Two families of the slum who became the fresh targets of the miscreant Thursday lodged different complaints with Mancheswar police station in this regard.
According to sources, the hooligan identified as Pappu has been staying at Gopabandhu slum near Mancheswar Industrial Estate under Mancheswar Police station limits. He works as a daily wager to make ends meet. The slum dwellers who were accompanying the victim families claimed that Pappu, under the influence of alcohol, allegedly used to involve in fights with other residents of the slum at regular intervals. He has been out on bail for the past few months. Since his release, he has reportedly committed more than 30 different crimes including assaulting a 13 year-old minor for rejecting his proposal of love.
As per the complaint lodged Thursday, a vehicle while going through the slum inadvertently damaged the road. Later, the driver of the vehicle who was intercepted by the youths of the slum paid them Rs 300 to a club in the slum for repair of the damaged spot on the road.
Subsequently, Pappu got furious with the president of the club when he came to know about the incident. An angry Pappu started digging the slum road in order to take revenge over the receipt of such a paltry amount for the repair of damaged part of the road.
The president, Tapan Samal objected to his digging and allegedly assured him that the driver had promised to pay whatever expenditure incurred on the repair work. However, Pappu without paying heed to him, continued with the digging. Subsequently, Samal’s mother snatched away the tool from him that irked Pappu further who tried to kill Samal with a big stone lying along the road side.
Meanwhile, Samal’s mother, an elderly woman, ran to his son’s rescue. Pappu hit her in the head with the stone leaving her injured severely. Later, Pappu and his brother assaulted Samal, his family members including some onlookers who tried to help Samal.
Pappu also allegedly misbehaved with Samal’s sister-in-law when she was alone at home as others went to the hospital for treatment.
The residents of Gopabandhu slum sought the immediate arrest of Pappu while police is allegedly pressurizing them to reach a mutul settlement with Pappu.