[Watch] Sec 144 Clamped After One Dies In Group Clash In Odisha’s Mayurbhanj

Baripada/Balasore: Prohibitory orders have been clamped in a village of Mayurbhanj district following the death of a person in a group clash on Saturday.

According to sources, the incident took place when welding shop owner Sheikh Rifaqat Khan of Gobindapur village in Kalma panchayat of Mayurbhanj district and his friend Sheikh Wasim were going to their shop. They had a verbal duel with Saroj Jena of Kalma and his friends over a minor issue.

This led to a heated exchange of words between Saroj and Rifaqat, who had past enmity. Soon, their supporters joined them and a group clash ensued. As Seikh Rifaqat and Wasim were injured in the clash, Seikh Jilani, a tailor of Jankhrai village under Balasore Sadar police limits rushed to the spot. But he was grievously injured in the attack by Saroj group.

On being informed, police rushed to the spot and found Jilani lying in a pool of blood in a drain. He was rushed to Balasore hospital and later, shifted to a hospital in Cuttack. But, he succumbed on the way.

As the news of Jilani’s death spread, hundreds of youths from the minority community of Gobindraipur, Jafrai and other villages reached the incident spot with arms. They attacked Saroj and his supporters who were seriously injured and set fire to two shops.

Following the incident, eastern zone IG Himanshu Lal along with senior police officials including Balasore SP Sudhanshu Shekhar Mishra and additional SP Gobinda Sethi rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

Two platoons of police force from Mayurbhanj and Balasore have been deployed in the village to maintain law and order. The administration imposed Section 144 in the area.