Tension prevails as group clash claims one life in Cuttack's Athagarh, several vehicles torched

A youth was killed after some miscreants allegedly ran him down with a tractor following a group clash at Talagarh village under Athagarh’s Kuleilo panchayat in Cuttack district on Wednesday night.

The deceased has been identified as Sushant Rana from Radhakrushnapur village near Athagarh.

After the clash, a critically injured Rana was rushed to the Dhenkanal hospital for treatment but he was pronounced dead by the doctors there.

Tension erupted following Rana’s death. Infuriated family members and the residents of Radhakrushnapur village set the property of the accused on fire. As per reports, a poultry farm, one tractor, a car and two bikes belonging to the accused were reduced to ashes in the arson.

The villagers were so angry that they did not even allow the fire fighters to enter the village who were called in to douse the blaze.

A complaint was lodged at Khuntuni police station against the accused following which three persons have been detained by the police for questioning.

Palpable tension prevailed in the area following the death of Rana and the subsequent arson. One platoon of police force has been deployed in the area to prevent any escalation of the clash.

Cuttack Additional SP, Choudwar SDPO and Khuntuni IIC are on the spot to pacify the villagers and bring the law and order situation under control.