Amid fresh arson, Balasore district administration today invoked more provisions of CrPC and banned movement of the public for 12 hours from 6 pm till 6 am tomorrow at Soro town besides arresting three persons and detaining 30.
"In view of sporadic arson last night, we have imposed stricter provisions of CrPC to contain violence at Soro town. People are told not to come out of their houses unless its emergency situations," Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Satyajit Mohanty, told PTI.
Mohanty, who along with many senior police officers is camping at Soro, said, "This is not exactly curfew. People are simply requested not to move out of houses unless required urgently."
Information about dusk-to-dawn restriction on movement was being conveyed through public announcement system across the town, police said.
The mischief mongers last night had set afire seven shops located in isolated places and put a broiler firm ablaze which led to some tension in the town.
Meanwhile, police arrested at least three persons and detained another 30 people suspecting them to have role in instigating violence which erupted on Friday night over immersion of Ganesh idol at Soro town.
Police have sealed all the entry and exit points of the town by deploying 17 platoons (1 platoon comprises 30 personnel) of armed police besides a number of senior officers including two commandants of armed police and three DSPs.
People entering the town were being frisked and their vehicles checked by the security personnel.
Police have tightned security in view of EId-Ul-Juha tomorrow, Balasore SP Niti Sekhar said.
"Though the members of the Muslim community are allowed to perform prayers tomorrow during the day time, all processions have been banned at Soro town," Balasore district Collector Pramod Kumar Das said adding today there was relaxation in section 144 of CrPC for some hours to enable people to purchase essentials from the market.
Mass prayer on the occasion has been arranged from 9 AM to 10 AM by the administration and security arrangement has been made for the devotees intending to join, officials said.
Though shops, business esblishments, schools, colleges and offices remained closed during the day, traffic on the National Highway remained unaffected, police said.
Tension prevailed in the costal town following a series of clashes between two groups of people during an immersion procession of Ganesh idol.
About seven people including two police personnel were injured during the clash on Friday.
