Pipili: Tension flared up at Sultannagar under Ward No-14 of Pipili municipality in Puri district after some members of a minority community tried to bury a body near Harijan Basti Saturday.
The situation was brought under control with the intervention of police. On being informed about the incident, Pipili police station IIC Abhimanyu Nayak reached the spot and pacified both the sides.
According to a source, Sheikh Asaddun Nabi, a resident of Sultannagar, had to rush his ailing mother to Pipili government hospital Saturday morning. While undergoing treatment, she breathed her last.
They have a specific graveyard in the village. Instead of taking the body to the said graveyard, Nabi and his relatives took the body to a piece of land near Harijan Basti for burial. After digging a grave, it was when they were to lay the body into it, the residents of Harijan Basti objected, leading to a verbal duel between them.
The villagers said over 100 people including children have been living in the village for many years now. “They have a graveyard. They should go there. If a dead body is buried near our village, we will face many problems. Our children will get frightened,” they argued.
At the same time, Nabi said, “The piece of land near Harijan Basti belongs to us. It will be auspicious for us if we bury our mother here.”
Later, police came and settled the dispute. It was learnt that Nabi and his relatives went ahead with their rituals.
Dissatisfied with the way the dispute was settled, Shantilata Behera and some others lodged a report with Pipili police station, demanding justice.
PNN