Tension spread in Kumarpur village under Athagarh block after the houses of some lower caste people were set ablaze out of past rivalry.
On Monday night a group of people of lower caste pelted stones on the upper caste villager at Kumarpur. In retaliation, the upper caste villagers set fire to thatched houses of the lower caste village where over 14 houses reportedly were burnt to ashes leading to a loss of over Rs 3 lakh.
Athagarh Sub-Collector Harish Chandra Nayak, the Athagarh SDPO, the Tangi-Choudwar SDPO and the IICs of Athagarh, Khuntuni, Gurudijhatia,
Choudwar with the armed police forces rushed the spot to maintain law and order. They declared compensation for the victims and set up a peace committee to bring back harmony in the area. A platoon of armed police has been deployed.
Notably, three days back when procession for immersion of Maa Basanti Durga was taken, some villagers of nearby villages were not allowed to participate, triggering tension in the area.