Baripada: As many as 34 people, including 27 women, were arrested on Saturday in connection with violence during a road blockade over alleged harassment of a tribal girl in Bahalda block of Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district.
The incident took place on Friday during the protest against alleged misconduct involving a youth and a young girl in Bahalda market on Thursday, triggering tension in the area.
Demanding immediate arrest of the accused, locals blocked National Highway-220 near Murmu Chowk, disrupting traffic and placing the victim symbolically on a cot in the middle of the road. When police and other officials, including the Bahalda Tehsildar, arrived to mediate and persuade the protesters to lift the blockade, the situation escalated.
The crowd reportedly attacked the police with sticks and stones, injuring at least 12 personnel. Three officers were seriously hurt and rushed to Bahalda Hospital for treatment. The agitators also vandalised and overturned the official vehicle of the Bahalda Tehsildar during the clash.
Following the incident, police registered cases for the attack on officers and vandalism. Altogether 34 people involved in the violence were taken into custody, while a flag march was conducted in the area to restore order and prevent further unrest.
