Bhubaneswar turns into battlefield as bombs hurled over past enmity

The Odisha Capital on Friday night turned into a battleground as a series of bombs were hurled over past enmity, triggering panic among the residents. The bomb attack was witnessed near Shaheed Nagar Winners’ Association.

A car and two-wheeler have been damaged in the bomb attack, sources said.

As per initial reports, the incident occurred at around 11 pm on Friday night. At least 30-40 youths on several motorbikes reached the area and hurled bombs near the Shaheed Nagar Winners’ Association, before fleeing the spot.

They were even heard abusing using filthy language and issuing death threats. The entire incident has been caught on a CCTV camera installed in the area.

As per reports, the miscreants had got into an argument with a few local youths over some issue on Thursday night. Seeking revenge, the miscreants thronged the area on Friday night and hurled bombs before escaping.

“They came from nowhere and started hurling bombs. They also had swords and other sharp-edged weapons and destroyed the vehicles parked there. They have even set a vehicle on fire. We were celebrating Diwali here,” an eyewitness said.

“There was no fight or anything here. Everyone was in a celebratory mood. But, they came all of a sudden and wreaked havoc here,” alleged another local.

On being informed, Shaheed Nagar police rushed to the spot and launched a probe into the incident. Steps are being taken to identify the miscreants through the CCTV footage, police said.