Bhubaneswar: Ten persons were arrested in late night raids after a violent gang clash, allegedly triggered by a love triangle, sent shockwaves through Buddha Vihar area under Chandrasekharpur police limits in Bhubaneswar around 9 pm on Friday.
Those arrested have been identified as Uttam Mekaup, Swadheen Kumar Nayak, Badal Mohapatra, Saroj Kumar Nayak, Jyotiranjan Nayak, Santo Behera, Sagar Sahoo, Rajeen Nayak, Lokanath Behera and Sarat Khatua.
The daytime violence, involving rival gangs armed with sharp weapons, left two youths seriously injured.
According to police, the clash pitted members of ‘Uttam’ gang, allegedly linked to the Salia Sahi slum, against the ‘Kumbhira’ group. Tensions boiled over when a group of 13 youths, some carrying swords concealed in bags, launched a targeted assault in the residential area. The victims, identified as Shubham Saroj, son of the Buddha Vihar Colony secretary, and Chandan Nayak, sustained serious injuries in the attack. Shubham was reportedly struck on his left hand. Both were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
CCTV footage of the incident showed attackers running amok with weapons, creating chaos as unsuspecting locals and students carrying school bags scrambled for safety.
The Commissionerate Police recorded victim statements and identified more than 14 individuals in connection with the violence after analysing the digital evidence. Following which, raids were conducted across multiple locations. Ten accused, including Akash Behera alias ‘Kumbhira’ from Sundarpada, who was reportedly absconding, were arrested and forwarded to court.
Zone-VI ACP Manas Ranjan Pradhan said that Chandrasekharpur police initially registered a suo motu case based on a report by sub-inspector Deb Samantaray, as no immediate formal complaint was filed. Following complaints from the injured victims, two separate cases were registered. “Given the criminal antecedents of two accused, we will invoke stricter laws, such as section 110 of the CrPC, to ensure long-term preventive detention and restore peace to the area,” he said.
The ACP, however, denied any love angle in the violence. “There was an altercation between associates of Kumbhira and Uttam. Uttam’s outnumbered group returned the next day to launch a retaliatory attack on the rival gang,” he said.
Police have seized a motorcycle, two scooters, a sword, a knife, and two wooden stumps believed to have been used in the assault. Efforts are underway to nab the remaining suspects, he added.
