Six people, including Deputy Commissioner of Police Rishikesh Khillari, were injured after a clash erupted between two groups during a Durga Puja idol immersion procession in Cuttack, Odisha, in the early hours of Saturday, according to police reports.
The incident happened near Hatipokhari in the Daraghabazar area around 2 am, when the procession was heading to Debigara on the banks of the Kathajodi river, playing loud music, to which locals objected, they said.
The confrontation quickly escalated, with both groups hurling stones and glass bottles at each other, forcing police to use a baton charge to bring the situation under control.
Police Commissioner S Dev Datt Singh confirmed that six people have been arrested in connection with the violence, having been identified through CCTV footage for their involvement in stone pelting. Fresh tension flared when a second procession reached the location, necessitating the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). The immersion processions finally resumed around 6 am amid heavy security, though vehicles carrying 50 idols from various community Durga Pujas in the city had been stuck for approximately four hours. Singh added that 120 idols of Goddess Durga were immersed by 10 am.
Officials confirmed that DCP Khillari, who sustained injuries in the clashes, is in a stable condition, while one critically injured person was admitted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who also holds the Home Department portfolio, is reportedly monitoring the situation from Delhi.
Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik condemned the incident, stating that the police appeared "completely helpless" in controlling the situation. He alleged that the pressure on the police under the BJP government is "disrupting law and order in the state." Patnaik described the situation as "alarming" in Cuttack, traditionally known as the city of brotherhood, noting that such unrest is "never acceptable" in a "peaceful state" like Odisha. He urged the public to maintain cordiality and goodwill.
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