Odisha: Mob attacks police station over man’s detention in cannabis case

People from 6 grampanchayats attacked Adava police station in Odisha’s Gajapati district and thrashed five cops

Updated on: Sep 13, 2022, 15:57:31 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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A mob of around 200 people barged into a police station in tribal-dominated Gajapati district in Odisha on Tuesday morning and thrashed five cops protesting a man’s detention in a cannabis smuggling case, police said.

Odisha’s Gajapati district is considered a hotbed for cannabis cultivation. (Representative Image)

Officials in Gajapati district said people from 6 grampanchayats gathered outside Adava police station in Mohana block and staged a demonstration against the detention of one Biswanath Bhuyan, who was picked up by the cops from Jharanpur village on Monday night.

Gajapati district is considered a hotbed for cannabis cultivation and police routinely pick up people on such charges.

Enraged over the police action, local people first sat around the police station and then stormed inside and attacked the cops alleging that it was a fake case.

“They were unrelenting and went after us. They tore up case records, smashed laptop, desktop computer and furniture. We had to run for our lives,” said a police official, requesting anonymity.

The mob then headed for the residential quarters of the police station staff inside the premises and wanted to attack the family members of the cops. However, they were persuaded against it by other people.

Later, cops from nearby two police stations of R Udaygiri and Mohana arrived as reinforcement. However, the villagers continued to be on dharna in front of the police station to press their demands.

In June this year, armed mob with links to cannabis traders vandalised the Chitrakonda police station in Malkangiri district, another hotbed of cannabis cultivation.

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

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