Berhampur: More than 22 persons were injured and five of them seriously in a group clash between villagers of Bahadapada and Bijipur under Mohana police limits in Gajapati district over land dispute.
According to reports, while 12 of the injured persons are from Bijipur village, 10 are from Bahadapada. Five of them have been shifted to the MKCG Medical College & Hospital here as their condition was critical.
The critically injured persons have been identified as Jibina Bir, Antari Lima from Bijipur village and Srimati Gouda, Tarini Dalai, and Kandhuni Mahakud of Bahadapada village.
Villagers of Bijipur and Bahadapada had a longstanding dispute over a piece of gocchar land (pasture) in Bahadapada village under Chandragiri mouza. Villagers of both the villages had knocked the doors of the police station and had also lodged a complaint with the district administration
On Sunday late afternoon while villagers of Bahadapada were cleaning the said pasture in their village, villagers of Bijipur had opposed it.
This resulted in a clash wherein villagers from both sides used axes, machetes and wooden planks to attack each other.
Mohana police are investigating the matter.
