The conflict between people of two villages Bankatira and Kalama took a violent turn today with mob fury taking toll of several people including the police today. Eight people were injured in the violence. The police arrested 12 people. An assistant sub inspector of police sustained head injuries while a police jeep was damaged.
The angry villagers resorted to brick batting and attacked the police. The injured assistant sub inspector of police, Rajendra Nayak and his driver Dilip Jena were admitted to the local hospital. The police had reached the spot after receiving reports of a road block staged by villagers of Bankatira today. “ After information was received that a group of villagers of Bankatira staged road picketing following their clash with Kalama the officer posted in the outpost at Haldipada rushed to the site along with his driver.
They were attacked and their vehicle was damaged”said SDPO Pravash Pal. The Inspector-in-charge of the Sadar police station , Dayanidhi Das said the incident was fall-out of a longstanding dispute between the residents of Bankatira village and Kalama village in Mayurbhanj district.
Since 31 December 2017 there has been a tussle between people of both the villages. A peace meeting was held but it failed to resolve the differences. Over the last week people of both the villages had clashed, a few roadside shops were damaged . The police had arrested a person of Bankatira village and this led to the road block today.