Tarava panchayat with a population 5,600 and at least 3,500 voters was once known as a bastion of former PCC chief and Union Minister KP Singh Deo.
But after BJP-BJD alliance came to power and Singh Deo was denied Congress ticket as MP from Dhenkanal, it gave an opportunity to the BJP and BJD to spread wings not just in Tarava but in several villages and strengthen their base in the grassroots politics.
The Rout family and Biswal family which are under scanner for the February 4 shootout in the village were the strong supporters of Singh Deo and traditional Congress loyalists. Even Himansu Rout, the father of the deceased Salman Rout, still is in Congress. Salman Rout family and Biswal family have had much influence in Tarabha. But gradually, Biswal family started to dominate Tarava village after their involvement with the ruling BJD in 2009. Chittaranjaan Biswal became the Sarapanch of Tarabha and his brother Hrudananda Biswal, the Vice-Chairman of Sadar Block. They started to terrorise the villagers in every aspect misusing the name of Kamakhyanagar MlA and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick. In a bid to protect the villagers from the terror of the BJD supported Biswal family, Salman Rout joined BJP and started to protest the Biswal family in each and every way. The rivalry between the Rout and Biswal family was thus assuming serous form in the panchayat.
On February 4, violence among the two families led to shootout of Salman. Curiously none of the doctors in Dhenkanal hospital dared to perform the postmortem of the body and the body was sent to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.
Considering the prevailing situation of the village, the district administration has clamped Section 144 at Tarava. On behalf of Salman one Bikram Mallik has filed an FIR against 15 persons of BJD for helping in the killing of Salman. On the other hand, Tunamani Biswal, wife of Chittaranjan Biswal, has lodged FIR against BJP supporters for torching their house, other valuables and trying to throw them in the fire. Meanwhile, some international human rights members have visited Tarabha.