Odisha cops attacked by villagers during Ganja crackdown

Koraput: Crackdown on ganja smuggling cost police personnel dear as angry villagers reportedly attacked severely injuring one policeman at Matikhal village in Koraput district on Friday night.

According to reports, a team of over 30 police personnel had been pressed for raid at Matikhal village under Machhkund police limits on allegation of ganja smuggling at the locality.

However, the villagers reportedly attacked the police personnel alleging them of barging into their houses and misbehaving with women at night. They detained one police personnel after beating him too hard.

“Usually male persons of the family go to the forests at night to guard cashew plants during the season. At around 9.30 pm on Friday, approximately 40-50 police personnel had come to the village in our absence and entered into our houses for raid without prior notice. They removed clothes of women while they were sleeping and misbehaved with them. When they objected and questioned, the police told them that they are here by the order of Koraput SP for searches at houses,” a villager told media adding, “the police personnel opened fire and we thought some of our villagers succumbed in the firing. We caught one police personnel who claimed himself as a home guard, or a constable or SDPO.”

The police personnel detained by the villagers was rescued later.