Post-Holi Group Clash In Jeypore, Police Open Blank Fire

Jeypore: Seven persons were injured when police opened blank fire to disperse a mob following a bloody clash between two villages under Jeypore Sadar police limits in Odisha’s Koraput district on Friday afternoon.

Police said there was a long-standing rivalry between two groups of people of Dhepaguda and Kundariguda villages. The incident took place at 3.30 pm when the two groups had gone for a bath in a nearby canal after Holi. There was a heated exchange of words between them, which later turned violent as both the groups engaged in brick-batting. Following information, a team of Sadar Police rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation. As the situation went out of control, police opened four rounds of fire to disperse the irate people. But the brick-batting continued resulting in seven persons getting injured and two bikes getting completely damaged.

Vehicular traffic came to a standstill on National Highway-26 for over nearly three hours as the two warring groups pelted stones at each other on both sides of the road.

A joint team of Town Police and Mahila Police, accompanied by one platoon of the Armed Police force rushed to the spot.

Police later admitted the injured persons to the Jeypore sub-divisional hospital.

Till reports last came in, the situation in the area was tense but under control.