BERHAMPUR
: An uneasy calm prevailed at
Taptapani
in
Ganjam
district, about 60km from here on Wednesday, a day after three police officers were attacked by a mob for trying to prevent clashes between some neighbouring villages.
Police have registered at least three different cases of the incident that took place under the Patapur police station limit in Ganjam. "While two cases have been registered against more than 500 people of five nearby villages for attacking police and blocking roads at different places, another case involves assault on a person from T Gobindapur by villagers of Taptapani. But no arrests have been made so far," said subdivisional police officer (Aska) Subash Chandra Panda.
At least one platoon of police force has been deployed near Taptapani. Search for the accused has been intensified in the villages of T Gobindapur, Sriram Nagara, Belaghara, Chakarapalli and other nearby areas.
Many have fled the villages fearing a police crackdown after the violence in which the inspector in- charge of Patapur police station, Ramesh Chandra Pradhan, too was injured. The other two injured police personnel included Prasanna Kumar Patnaik and Golak Chandra Polai, both assistant sub-inspectors. Sources said their condition has improved.
They were referred to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur from the Mohana Community health centre on Tuesday.
"The situation in the area is under control," said SP (Ganjam) Brijesh Kumar Rai.
The residents of T Govindpur were demanding the arrest of some youths from Taptapani, who had allegedly beaten up a mini-truck driver Prahallad Nayak at Belagada due to previous enmity late on Monday. Nayak had lodged an FIR against the villagers of Taptapani.
The protesters had put up road blockades at several places between T Gobindapur and Taptapani by felling trees.
The blockade was lifted only after subcollector (Berhampur) Sidharth Shankar Swain assured them of taking action against the offenders.
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