Odisha: 5 killed, 4 injured as nomadic groups clash in Sundargarh
The DIG said the police in neighbouring Jharsuguda and Sambalpur districts have been alerted to check bus stands, railway stations, and other places to trace the attackers.
At least five people, including three women, were killed after two nomadic groups clased in Sundargarh district of Odisha on Tuesday night over alleged extramarital affairs.
Representational image.
Police officials said a nomadic group from Maharashtra’s Wardha district was staying in Karamdihi area of the Odisha district for the last several months. They had set up their tents in the villages and sold household items made of iron.
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“A man named Abinash Pawar, who belonged to the Maharashtra group, stayed with his wife and son there. A few months ago, Pawar’s wife had an extramarital affair and eloped with her paramour. Pawar then brought home a woman from another nomadic group, resulting in a rift between the two groups. On Tuesday night, Pawar’s group was asleep when the other group allegedly attacked them with sharp-edged weapons and killed five people. Pawar, a woman and two other children were critically injured,” said Brijesh Roy, deputy inspector general of police (western range).
After the attack, the attackers abducted Pawar’s second wife and two children before fleeing the spot.
The DIG said the police in neighbouring Jharsuguda and Sambalpur districts have been alerted to check bus stands, railway stations, and other places to trace the attackers. A forensics team has also been sent to collect evidence from the site of the clash.
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.
