Police in Cuttack have arrested at least eight people for their alleged involvement in the violence and arson that took place on Sunday, which resulted in a 36-hour curfew and the suspension of the internet across the city.
The unrest on Sunday erupted during a motorcycle rally organised by groups seeking support for the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's call for a 12-hour bandh (general strike) in Cuttack on Monday. This bandh is being observed to protest the earlier violence that broke out in the early hours of Saturday, when locals reportedly objected to specific songs played during an immersion procession and threw stones. Six people had already been arrested in connection with the incident on Saturday.
Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner S Dev Dutta Singh confirmed: "The situation is under control now and there are no reports of fresh violence in any pockets in the city. If anybody tries to create disturbances, we have already warned that strict action will be taken against such individuals. We have so far identified eight persons in connection with violence on Sunday and the process to identify more persons is on."
Singh stated that three First Information Reports (FIRs) have been lodged so far regarding the Sunday violence, with individuals also approaching the police to file more complaints. Over a dozen police personnel sustained injuries during the violence, while several shops were vandalised and vehicles were set alight by the protestors.
Police reported that the Sunday violence broke out after they attempted to stop the protestors' bike rally from entering specific sensitive parts of the city. The protestors allegedly threw stones at the police, prompting officers to use tear gas in order to disperse the crowd. Over 60 platoons of police force, including central armed police units, have been deployed in Cuttack to maintain peace and order.
Normal life has been severely affected in Cuttack due to the curfew, which has been enforced across 13 police station limits in the city. Although emergency services are exempt, people travelling from different parts of Odisha to the SCB medical college and hospital in Cuttack are facing difficulties because of the restrictions.
As the state government has imposed a 24-hour internet ban in Cuttack, the Odisha Police have issued an advisory urging people in other parts of the state to refrain from sharing false and provocative posts on social media. The advisory explicitly warned that strict action would be taken against anyone spreading false and misleading content.
Odisha’s Director-General of Police (DGP) Yogesh Bahadur Khurania and other senior officers are currently in Cuttack overseeing the situation.
Also read: Fresh clashes erupt in Cuttack during Durga idol immersion
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