Cuttack: The Commissionerate Police on Thursday arrested three more persons from Cuttack in connection with the violent clash that erupted during the Durga Puja idol immersion procession at Dargha Bazaar on the night of October 3. With this, the total number of arrests in the case has risen to nine.
According to Cuttack ACP (Zone IV) Girija Shankar Chakraborty, six persons had earlier been arrested on October 6 and forwarded to the court. The latest arrests were made following further investigation and the accused were also presented before the court on Thursday.
“As part of the ongoing investigation, house searches are being conducted at the residences of the accused and other suspected anti-social elements. Strict action will be taken against all involved. No one will be spared,” said ACP Chakraborty while speaking to reporters.
He added that police are verifying the identities of the suspects, their length of stay in the city, and are conducting door-to-door searches in targeted areas. Five houses were searched on Thursday as part of this operation.
Appealing for public cooperation, the ACP urged residents not to believe or spread rumours or misleading information on social media.
“If anyone notices anything unusual, they should inform the police instead of taking the law into their own hands,” he said.
The clash, which broke out late on October 3 during the immersion procession, involved two groups who pelted stones at each other. Four persons, including Cuttack DCP Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo, were injured. The violence caused panic in the area, damaged vehicles, and disrupted the immersion schedule, leaving over 40 idols stranded for nearly three hours.
