The situation in south Orissa’s riot hit Kandhamal district has turned grim with the re-imposition of curfew in eight places on Tuesday night following fresh outbreak of violence in G. Udaygiri, leading to the death of one person and injuring twelve others.
The curfew has been clamped for an indefinite period in Phulabani, the district headquarter town and other places including Tikabali, G Udayagiri, Raikia, Baliguda, Phiringia, Tumudibandh and Gochhapada.
The night curfew had prevailed in these places ever since the outbreak of communal violence in the tribal dominated district in the aftermath of killing of senior VHP leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and his four disciples by some unidentified miscreants on August 23.
"The district administration has now extended the curfew period to the day time only as the tension prevailed in several places after the fresh outbreak of violence at G.Udayagiri", said a senior officer.
Barring a few incidents, Kandhamal district was otherwise calm on Wednesday, claimed Satyabrata Sahu, revenue divisional commissioner of the southern division.
At least five houses were gutted by the miscreants in the fresh outbreak of violence at Beheragaon on Tuesday.
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The district administration has launched a crackdown on people allegedly involvement in the riot and arsenic incidents in the district. As many as 22 persons were arrested by the police last night from different places in the district.
The traders at G Udaygiri observed a bandh in protest against the arrest drive of the police. All the business establishments had put down their shutters in the one of the major trading centers in the district.
Meanwhile, MM Praharaj, the newly appointed director general of police is scheduled to visit Kandhamal today evening to take stock of the law and order situation.