Nayagarh: One person was killed and more than 10 were critically injured in clashes between two groups of villagers during Danda Jatra in Odisha’s Nayagarh district on Wednesday night.
The deceased was identified as Naveen Parida of Durgaprasad village.
Two groups, one from Durgaprasad village and the other from Deulapalli village, were going in separate processions with their deities during which there was a heated exchange between them near the Shiv temple at Sindhuria village.
Subsequently, several youths of Deulapalli village allegedly beat Parida to death. Over 10 villagers from Durgaprasad suffered grievous injuries in the violent clashes that followed and were admitted to the Nayagarh District Headquarters Hospital.
The IIC of Nayagarh Town police station and three other police personnel were also injured while trying to bring the situation under control.
Police recovered Parida’s body from near a pond in Deulapalli village. It has been sent for post-mortem.
Police forces have been deployed in the villages.
