The Kendrapada district administration lifted the prohibitory orders from most parts of the district on Monday.
The orders had been clamped on Saturday in wake of the post-election violence, particularly triggered by the Marshaghai BDO’s act of keeping many EVMs in a Government vehicle near his house instead of sending them to the strong room at Kendrapada.“We have lifted the prohibitory orders from many places as normalcy was restored in those areas. But the prohibitory orders will remain in Ali, Rajkanika and Mahakalpada police limits for some more time,” district Collector Nitin Bhanu Das Jawale said.
However, he said the administration has imposed a ban on large public gatherings and rallies in the district to maintain law and order.The administration clamped orders under Section 144 of the CrPC following which BJP and Congress supporters resorted to violent protests after 28 pairs of EVMs were found in a vehicle parked in front of official residence of Marshagahi BDO Sushanta Kumar Pati in the district headquarters town of Kendrapada. A criminal case has been registered against a mob of over 600 people.
Police are examining the video footage of the violence to identify the assaulters, he said. “No arrest has been made so far in this incident,” he informed. . On Monday, tension continued to prevail across the Ali Assembly constituency as a fresh group clash erupted in Deulatara village under Rajkanika police limits.
Three persons have been injured in the clash while the condition of one of them is stated to be critical. It may be noted here that a clash between the supporters of the ruling BJD and the Congress in village Bahadiha under the constituency had resulted in death of one BJD supporter Arjun Rout. Besides, four were also injured in the incident. Police have so far arrested three Congress workers in this connection.