Section 144 Clamped In Joda In Post Ram Navami Group Clash

The mining town of Joda in Keonjhar district was put under prohibitory orders by the district administration after a group clash that broke out Monday saw many injured from both the factions.

As per reports, a religious group which conducted an Akhada procession on the occasion of Ram Navami on Sunday, sought permission to carry religious flags (Jhanda) to a Hanuman temple in ward – 4 of the town. The permission was denied by the police.

However, tensions flared up after the police permitted only five persons to carry the flags to the said temple on Monday. Agitated locals of that religious group demonstrated by staging a sit-in in front of the temple. Finally, when they began to move to the Hanuman temple carrying flags, some locals from another group reportedly stopped them from entering the area flaring up tension between the two groups.

Sensing trouble, the police reached the spot and tried to pacify them, but failed miserably as both the groups became more violent and resorted to stone pelting and glass bottles, injuring many in the process.

Following the face off, district authorities reached the place including district SP, Champua Sub-Collector, Barbil SDPO and Tehsildar and clamped section 144 in the area.