Jenapur police arrested four persons in connection with the recent group clash incident in Dharamsala on Tuesday, with authorities indicating that more arrests are likely in the coming days. The development was confirmed by Laxmidhar Swain, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Jajpur Road.

Police said the arrests were made on the basis of CCTV footage and video visuals circulated on social media following the incident. Acting on these inputs, multiple police teams were formed and raids were carried out at various locations to trace those involved.

Political Rivalry Cited as Trigger

The clash reportedly took place in Jenapur on Sunday and is alleged to have stemmed from political rivalry. According to initial allegations, supporters of former MLA Pranab Balabantaray and BJD workers were assaulted by supporters of MLA Himanshu Sekhar Sahoo, also known as Liku. Following the incident, tensions reportedly escalated between supporters of Liku and Jitu in the Dharamsala area.

In a counter-allegation, supporters of MLA Himanshu Sekhar Sahoo claimed that Jitu’s supporters were responsible for carrying out an attack. In connection with the incident, separate cases were registered at Jenapur police station, and further investigation is underway, as sources said.

Providing details of the arrests, SDPO Laxmidhar Swain said, “We were successful in arresting four accused based on various video footage. There was a get-together programme at the farmhouse of the former MLA, and a clash occurred between them and some villagers who were travelling along that road.”

Also Read: Dharmasala clash sparks political tension; rival camps stage overnight protests in Bhubaneswar, Jajpur

Meanwhile, Arun Sahoo, BJD MLA, said, “We have been told that four accused have been arrested, and efforts are underway to take strict action against the others. On behalf of others, we are giving an ultimatum that if the remaining accused persons are not arrested within five days, the protest will be intensified."