Mrunal Manmay Dash

Tension boiled out of proportion at the Banshapani railway station in Keonjhar late on Tuesday night after a youth named Laxman Patra of the area was found dead while allegedly being picked up by RPF personnel from a platform of the station. 

As per reports, few local residents spotted some RPF personnel carrying Patra near platform number - 2 of the railway siding last night. When the villagers enquired about the incident, they reportedly found Patra dead.

Infuriated, hundreds of villagers stormed the railway station premises and ransacked the office building, waiting hall, ticket counter alleging that the RPF personnel had beaten Patra to death. 

Sources said the agitators did not even spare the Station Master who along with three other RPF personnel was brutally assaulted during the attack.

The situation escalated so much that the assailants reportedly thrashed anyone who was spotted near the station. 

All the injured have been admitted to Tata hospital in Joda for treatment. 

After getting information about the violence, Police reached the spot to pacify the villagers but the adamant protesters did not let cops inside the station. 

However, after some deliberations, the IIC of the local Police station was allowed to get inside the station and hold talks with the agitators.

Train movement under the Chakradharpur division was disrupted following the violence.

Even though the extent of damages is yet to be ascertained, it is believed that property worth lakhs of rupees were vandalised during the attack.

Senior officials from Chakradhur Railway Division are said to be arriving to Banshapani for conduct probe into the death of the youth and mob attack case.

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