Odisha Curfew: Sec 144 Remains In Force For Second Day In Balasore Amid Communal Violence

Balasore: Odisha continued to reel under restrictions as curfew remained in force for the second day on Wednesday in the northern Odisha town of Balasore. It comes after a clash between two groups over animal slaughter in which 10 people were injured, an official said.

The administration said that it will review the law and order situation on Wednesday night, following which a decision will be taken on whether to continue the curfew.  

Commercial establishments along with private and government-run institutions remained shut while all the entry points to Balasore town were sealed, he said.

The state government has also suspended internet services in the town till 10 am on June 20 to check the spread of rumour, a Home Department official said.

"The situation is critical and miscreants are circulating false and inflammatory messages through social media to disturb the public order in the Balasore municipality area," the notification issued by the home department said on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has appealed to the people to maintain peace. He also asked the district administration to take all measures to restore normalcy in Balasore town.

Though curfew was in force, the administration relaxed norms for candidates appearing in any examination, government officials, court staff and persons engaged in essential services on production of valid ID proof.

Additional Director-General of Police (law and order) Sanjay Kumar said that 35 people have been arrested for rioting and violation of the curfew norms.

"At least six companies of the central forces are on the way to Balasore and they will be deployed in sensitive pockets," Kumar told PTI.

He said police were on high alert and keeping a close watch on the prevailing situation.

The police have so far registered seven FIRs.

Balasore Collector Ashish Thakare said security forces conducted a flag march in sensitive areas on Tuesday evening as a confidence-building exercise. The situation is under control and steps are being taken to restore peace in the town, he said.

Balasore SP Sagarika Nath said around 40 platoons of police force have been deployed and the situation is being monitored closely.

The communal violence flared up on Monday after some people spotted blood-stained water in a drain and staged a road blockade. The situation escalated when the two groups resorted to intense stone-pelting, leaving 10 injured. Some police personnel also suffered injuries while controlling the mob. 

(With agency inputs…)