5 Critical After Group Clash During Holi Celebration In Odisha Village

Cuttack: Holi celebrations at Bhogada village under Tigiria police limits in Cuttack’s Athagarh took a violent turn on Tuesday, leaving five injured.

The injured were initially admitted to Tigiria sub-divisional Hospital from where Bhogada Sarpanch Sharmila Naik’s husband and brother-in-law were later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack.

According to sources, the two groups started passing comments during the Holi celebration leading to the violent clash.

Sharmila, however,  told media that her husband and brother-in-law were on their way to market to buy groceries when 8-10 people attacked them with sticks and sharp-edged weapons. “They even came to my house and vandalised everything. They have broken my son’s cycle and the CCTV camera installed in our house,” she told the media.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Cuttack Rural Mihir Kumar Panda along with a platoon of police force is camping in the village to prevent further flare-ups.

Though the exact reason behind the clash is yet to be ascertained, preliminary reports suggest it could be because of political rivalry or previous enmity.