144 clamped in Kandhamal district

By Akshaya Kumar Sahoo

Bhubanswar, Dec. 25: Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC were on Tuesday clamped in Baliguda, Daringibadi and certain other pockets of Kandhamal (Phulbani) district as activists of two separate religious groups fought pitched battles.

At least 22 platoons of police forces were sent to the district to maintain law and order.

State police director general Gopal Nanda said police had been asked to deal with the communal violence with utmost care and intelligence.

Stating that the situation was under control, Mr Nanda said people indulging in damaging life and property will be seriously dealt with. "We are keeping a close vigil on the development in Kandhamal district. Anybody trying to take law into his own hands, will be punished," he said.

Reports said a few rioters trespassed into the house of state steel and mines minister Padmanabh Behera's house in the district headquarters and set one of the parked vehicles into fire. The minister, however, was not present at home then.

The trouble started in the area on Monday morning at the Christian majority Brahmanigaon village over erection of a gate on the eve of Christmas Day. Some youths belonging another group opposed erection of the gate. This led to a fight between the two groups.

Things blew out of proportions when Hindu seer Swami Laxmananda Saraswati was attacked by some youths during his visit to the area in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, normal traffic in Cuttack, Phulbani and Baliguda towns were temporarily disrupted due to a four-hour bandh call given by Vishwa Hindu Parishad.