Addl SP among 10 injured in Sambalpur clash; prohibitory orders issued: Police

Prohibitory orders were issued in areas under the jurisdiction of five police stations of Town, Dhanupali, Khetrajpur, Ainthapali, Bareipali and Sadar

Updated on: Apr 12, 2023, 21:52:23 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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BHUBANESWAR: More than 10 people including an additional superintendent of police (Addl SP) were injured on Wednesday in violence during a bike rally in Sambalpur town ahead of Friday’s Hanuman Jayanti celebrations, police said. The festival is celebrated in Odisha on the Maha Vishuva Sankranti which falls on April 14 this year.

Sambalpur 10 platoons of police personnel were deployed as a precautionary measure. (Twitter/Screengrab)

Prohibitory orders were issued in areas under the jurisdiction of five police stations of Town, Dhanupali, Khetrajpur, Ainthapali, Bareipali and Sadar and 10 platoons of police personnel were deployed as a precautionary measure.

The violence started when at least 600 people associated with Hanuman Jayanti Samanwaya Samiti comprising BJP, VHP and Bajrang Dal workers on 300 bikes were going from Govindtola Petrol bank to Durga Mandir Golbazar via minority-dominated areas of Motijharan, Bhutpada, Raza nagar, Sumapalli, Kumbharpada and Daleipada when they were allegedly attacked with stones.

“As soon as we neared Motijharan, some miscreants started pelting stones. The members of the Hanuman Jayanti Samiti also hurled stones at the miscreants. In the violence, at least 7-8 policemen including me were injured,” said additional SP Tapan Mohanty.

Dhanupalli police station inspector-in-charge Anita Pradhan was hit in her face.

In retaliation, some people set fire to shops, cars and bikes parked on the road.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
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.Read More