Irate locals gherao SP office after sarpanch picked up by cops in Odisha

Tension prevailed at Bolangir Sadar Police Station as hundreds of incensed men and women from Kusmel panchayat staged a protest on Monday, accusing the police of inaction in an earlier electricity wire theft case in Bolangir district.

Also Read: Odisha lady teacher’s death: Locals gherao police station, block road demanding action

According to sources, electric wires were allegedly stolen in the Kusmel panchayat area a few days ago; following which, villagers had informed the police. Protesters alleged that the accused were brought to the Sadar Police Station but were later released by the police without taking any strict action, triggering resentment among local residents.

Subsequently, angered by the alleged police negligence, villagers had previously planned to gherao the Bolangir Superintendent of Police (SP)’s office today as part of their protest. However, the situation escalated after Sadar police allegedly brought Kusmel sarpanch Kaustav Sahu to the police station earlier in the day.

In protest hundreds of residents from the panchayat gheraoed Sadar police station and blocked the Bolangir–Patnagarh main road, disrupting vehicular movement and causing inconvenience to commuters.

Heavy police deployment was made in the locality to control the situation. Senior officials reached the spot and held discussions with the protesters in an attempt to defuse tension and restore normalcy. Further details are awaited as authorities continue to assess the situation.

Meanwhile, they have also gheraoed the Bolangir SP office in large numbers.

However, no comments were received from the local police in this regard.

Worth mentioning, earlier in another incident, Hundreds of incensed villagers had staged a protest in Pattamundai town of Kendrapara district on December 25 last year over the alleged death of a lady school teacher by suicide, demanding immediate action against those responsible.

The irate residents had gheraoed Kendrapara Rural Police Station and had blocked roads, expressing frustration over what they called an inordinate delay in action.