Group clash erupts during idol immersion In Odisha’s Cuttack

Cuttack: A day after curtains came down on Durga puja festivities, several people sustained injuries in a group clash which erupted during idol immersion in Cuttack today.

As per reports, two groups of people from Harijan Sahi of Jhanjirimangala and Kusunpur Sahi had a faceoff during the idol immersion procession in the city on Thursday. As the fight got uglier, both the parties started pelting stones in each other. Many people suffered injuries during the violent confrontation. In the videos which went viral soon after the incident, a few women from one of the groups were heard saying that the attack was staged. “The men are hitting youths from our locality for no reason. It seems they have been bribed to carry out the assault on us,” one of them stated in the clip.

On getting information, tension prevailed in the area with police beefing up security to prevent any further flare-up. Additional DCP Cuttack, Anil Kumar Mishra reached the spot and took stock of the situation. “Both the communities have had a past history of conflict. But this time, there was no preceding issue that triggered the fight. The clash erupted over movement of two respective processions for the Durga idol immersion. We have taken stock of the situation and both yatras will have a time gap so that dispute is ruled out. No casualty has been reported yet,” he informed.

Till reports last came in, cops were deployed to oversee the law and order situation.