Two persons were detained on Friday in connection with clashes in Odisha’s Sundargarh district a day earlier that left 12 persons, including police personnel, injured, PTI reported.
Following the violence, the authorities in the district banned public gatherings and suspended internet services till 6 pm on Friday.
The violence occurred in the Regent Market area at about 2.30 pm, the news agency quoted the police as saying. While reports said that the clash started following an argument between two persons about a food item, it was not clear what the argument was about.
Within minutes, the argument escalated into a fight in the market area, The Indian Express reported. A meat shop and some vehicles were vandalised, and a van was set on fire.
The two groups reportedly used sharp weapons and threw stones at each other, and the police had to use force to disperse them.
Odisha’s Deputy Inspector General of Police was quoted as saying that the situation had been brought under control by 5 pm.
Sundargarh Collector Subhankar Mohapatra said that schools, colleges and other educational institutes in the town will be closed on Friday as a safety measure, PTI reported.
Brijesh Rai, the deputy inspector general of police in the western range, told PTI that raids are underway in the district to detain more persons involved in the violence, based on CCTV footage.
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