Bhubaneswar: Tension prevailed in Odisha’s Balasore during the immersion of Goddess Durga idol as an irate crowd pelted stones on police personnel for forcing the latter to resort to a lathi charge. Five people, including police personnel, sustained injuries in the incident.
According to reports, trouble began at Balasore Cinema Chakk area when the police put off the DJ box as it was past midnight. The sound of the DJ box was quite high and the locals complained about it to the police. In response, police reached the spot and asked to shut down the sound boxes.
Angry over the police action, some youths pelted stones at the police. As the situation worsened Balasore SP Sagarika Nath reached the spot along with her team and responded swiftly to control the situation. The police had to resort to a mild lathi charge to bring the situation under control.
Balasore district Collector, Deputy Collector, and IG Himanshu Lal also reached the scene to assess the situation.
After deliberations with the local residents, police decided to shut down the sound boxes to prevent any further problems. In addition, police personnel were deployed at Balasore Cinema Chakk, Motiganj, Mandal Bazaar, and Barabati areas to maintain peace and order.
