Four police personnel of Raghunathpur police station and some revenue officials were allegedly manhandled by villagers during an eviction drive at the Bhasalpur village under the Raghunathpur area on Friday.
Later Raghunathpur Tehsildar Rupalika Dash lodged an FIR in Raghunathpur police station and based on the complaint, the police arrested five persons.
Reports said that while implementing an eviction order by the Orissa High Court, the Raghunathpur Tehsildar, his staff and police personnel had reached Bhasalpur village where two villagers namely Phakira Bhoi and his son Pitambar Bhoi had been encroaching a Government land. A road construction had been stalled for years due to the disputed land. After conducting legal formalities when the administration was carrying out the eviction drive the encroachers and their kin started attacking the police. Following the clash, the eviction drive was halted for a few hours and then carried out smoothly.
“We had served prior notice on the encroachers to vacate the Government land but they did not heed. As a result, we launched the eviction,” Tehsildar Das said.
Raghunathpur police station IIC Rajkishor Behera informed that four police personnel, including two women constables, Pravasini Sutar and Banalata Swain, were hurt. Phakira Bhoi, Chitta Bhoi, Anjali Bhoi, Sarala Bhoi, Mangala Bhoi, and Manoj Bhoi involved in the manhandling incident were arrested, he informed.