Cuttack: A joyful Durga Puja immersion procession in Odisha’s Cuttack transformed into a chaotic night, causing heavy police deployment and a potential shutdown in the city.
Late Saturday night, clashes erupted between two communities near Hathipokhari in Darghabazar, halting the festivities and injuring several, including Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Khiladi Rishikesh Gyanadev.
The trouble ignited around 1:30 am when locals objected to loud music blaring from the procession heading towards Kathajodi River’s Debigara ghat. A heated argument quickly escalated into stone-pelting from rooftops, with glass bottles raining down on the crowd. The melee vandalised vehicles and roadside stalls, prompting police to use mild lathi charges to disperse the mob. Authorities stalled the immersion rituals for nearly three hours, resumed them under tight security, and concluded them by 9:30 am on Sunday.
In the aftermath, authorities arrested six suspects, relying on CCTV footage, drone surveillance, and eyewitness accounts to hunt for more. Yet, fury simmers. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has slammed the administration for “failing to maintain law and order”, and demanded the transfer of the DCP and District Collector. In protest, they’ve called for a 12-hour bandh on Monday, October 6, from dawn till dusk.
To quell rising tensions, internet services across Cuttack have been suspended for 24 hours, a move aimed at curbing misinformation. As the city braces for the bandh, questions swirl over communal harmony in this historic heartland. Police urge calm, vowing swift justice, but the scars of the night linger, casting a shadow over the festival’s triumphant close.