Villagers Stage Road Blockade In Puri After Youth Drowns In Pond

Puri: Tension ran high at Arala village under Chandanpur police limits after irate locals staged a staged a road blockade on Saturday morning demanding compensation to the family of a youth, who died after drowning in a pond on Friday night.

According to reports, some miscreants had set fire to the house of Rabi Jena at Arala village at about 11 PM on Friday. Soon after the incident, his neighbour Naba Pradhan, son of Surendra Pradhan, rushed to a nearby pond in the village to fetch water to douse fire. While trying to fetch water, he slipped into the deep waters and drowned.

Following the incident, the irate villagers staged a demonstration by placing Naba’s body and blocking the road near Ruan on Saturday morning demanding compensation to the family members of Naba. They also demanded compensation to Rabi Jena whose house was gutted.

The villagers told the media that though they had immediately informed the Fire brigade about the fire mishap at around 11 pm yesterday, it arrived at the spot at around 2 AM.

The villagers later withdrew the blockade after officials of Chandanpur police station and local Tehsildar have rushed to the spot and assured the villagers of providing compensation to both the families.