The Kandhamal district administration on Saturday clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC in a Catholic Church premises at Gadaguda village under the G Udayagiri police station following a dispute between the two groups of Gadaguda and Telingia villages over the ownership of the church.
The case is sub judice in the local civil judge court. Tension prevailed on Sunday when the members of a group were found distributing invitation cards among the people for the ensuing Xmas celebrations. However, the rival group members lodged a complaint with the G Udayagiri police alleging that the invitation card had some controversial portions.
later, G Udayagiri police station IIC Sarojkanta Mohanta informed the Baliguda Sub-Collector about the dispute and he directed the police to seal the main gate of the church and clamp prohibitory orders in its premises.
It may be mentioned that the church was damaged in the communal violence in 2008 in the district sparked off by the murder of VHP leader Swami laxmanananda Saraswati. However, after its reconstruction, a dispute arose between Gadaguda and Telingia villages over the name and ownership of the church.