Kataka: Commissionerate Police on Monday arrested four persons for allegedly manhandling Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ananya Awasthi following a dispute over bursting of firecrackers during Diwali celebrations in Kataka city.
The arrests were made by Lalbag Police in connection with the incident at Nayasadak on Sunday, where a confrontation reportedly erupted between police personnel and local residents over the bursting of firecrackers.
According to reports, tension escalated after Awasthi, a 2022-batch IPS officer, intervened and asked people to stop bursting firecrackers. An argument allegedly broke out between the officer and some residents, which subsequently turned into a physical altercation.
Kataka DCP Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo confirmed the arrest of four persons in connection with the incident. Police reportedly identified the accused by examining CCTV footage and videos of the altercation circulated on social media.
Earlier, police had detained at least 10 persons for questioning in connection with the incident. Further investigation is underway.
Awasthi was appointed as aide-de-camp (ADC) to then Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati in May this year, becoming the first woman officer to hold the position in the state. She was subsequently transferred and posted as ACP in the Bhubaneswar-Kataka Commissionerate Police.
