Nayagarh/Ranpur: Two persons were killed and 25 were injured, five seriously, in a group class between the residents of Nua Sahi and Adivasi Sahi over a cashew orchard at Raipada under Chandpur police station in Nayagarh district Friday.
The deceased have been identified as Durga Pradhan (50) and Biranchi Pradhan (55) of Adivasi Sahi. While the injured persons of Adivasi Sahi are undergoing treatment at Tangi community health centre (CHC), five of them are recuperating at AIIMS, Bhubaneswar.
On being informed, Sarankul sub divisional police officer (SDPO) S. Toppo, Chandpur inspector-in-charge Dhaneswar Nahak along with a team visited the village. Keeping the simmering situation in view, one section of police force has been deployed at the village, it was learnt.
On the basis of the complaint lodged by Benudhar Pradhan, a resident of Adivasi Sahi, the police registered a case (Case No-37/20) against 40 persons including Raipada sarpanch Brahmachari Majhi, Ashok Bhatt, Kelu Behera, Sura Majhi, Hadia Behera, Dhanu Behera, and Hadia Palei.
The angry villagers did not allow police to take the bodies for post mortem and launched an agitation at panchayat office with the bodies, demanding arrest of sarpanch and other involved persons. The agitation was still going on at the time of filing of this report.
As per the complaint, Benudhar Pradhan of Adivasi Sahi had had the cashew orchard at Rs 16.5 lakh on lease for three years from Odisha State Cashew Development Corporation Limited in 2019.
After depositing Rs 5 lakh in the first year, he had been protecting the orchard with the help of villagers of his village and nearby villages.
Friday morning, Benudhar along with some villagers was collecting cashew nuts. Then about 40 persons wielding sharp weapons led by sarpanch Brahmachari Majhi entered the orchard and before Benudhar and others could realise anything they attacked them.
It was when the attackers left the orchard and the village that the villagers rushed the injured ones to Tangi CHC. Later, six of them were shifted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar. While undergoing treatment, Durga at the CHC and Biranchi at AIIMS succumbed to their injuries.
Sources said that over 50 villagers of Adivasi Sahi have been conducting meetings on the premises of the village temple to decide future course of action.
PNN