Balasore, June 18 (UNI) The Balasore district administration has imposed an indefinite curfew in the entire Balasore Municipality area from Monday midnight to maintain law and order following a group clash between two communities.
The administration has also suspended internet services in sensitive areas, and additional police forces have been deployed in the troubled areas.
The decision to impose the curfew in the town was made after local MP Pratap Sarangi and local MLA Manas Dutta held a meeting with Superintendent of Police Sagarika Nath last night.
Balasore SP Sagarika Nath said multiple FIRs have been registered in connection with the group clashes, and stringent actions will be taken against the culprits.
She said 40 platoons of police forces have been deployed in the town.
'Senior police officers are keeping a close watch on the situation. The situation in the town is currently under control,' according to the SP.
Despite the presence of a large contingent of police personnel, violence in certain other parts of the town escalated, particularly in the epicenter village of Patrapada.
Sources said a place of worship and a few shops were allegedly damaged by a mob. A house was also torched by the miscreants, but the fire was extinguished by the fire brigade.
Stray incidents of stone pelting were also reported from some sensitive areas of the town during the night. More forces have been mobilized from other districts to control the crisis.
The district administration ordered the closure of all shops, business establishments, other establishments, and educational institutions. However, emergency services, mainly medical ones, were exempted from the order.
Notably, all the district headquarters establishments and judicial courts come under the town, and these establishments could not function due to the emerging situation.
The trouble started and tension prevailed on Monday in the town police station area following a clash between two groups after one group noticed red fluids flowing down a drain, suspecting it to be related to the slaughtering of cows.
Taking a serious view of the situation, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi has directed the Balasore District administration to maintain law and order, peace, and harmony in the area. Describing Odisha as a peaceful state, Majhi said under no circumstances would peace, law, and order be allowed to be disturbed.
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