Curfew was imposed in Odisha’s Balasore town late Monday night following a clash between two communities over suspicion of cow slaughter earlier in the day. Though the administration initially imposed prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 in certain pockets of the town, it later decided to impose curfew in the entire town to prevent the situation from escalating. “Though there were no reports of fresh violence after prohibitory orders were imposed, we have decided to impose curfew in the entire municipality area as a precautionary measure,” said Balasore collector Ashish Thakare. The state government has also ordered suspension of internet services in Balasore town and nearby areas. Additional director general of police, law and order, Sanjay Kumar, who has been camping in the town, said 34 people from both communities have been arrested and the number is likely to go up. “Forty-three platoons of police force have been deployed in the town while an additional 15 platoons are being mobilised. Four IPS officers and senior police officers from the headquarters are also being deployed to keep a tab on the situation,” Kumar told The Indian Express. Kumar said steps are being taken to ensure minimum inconvenience to the people and essential services and ambulance services are being kept out of the purview of curfew. According to the preliminary investigation, the incident occurred in a communally sensitive area of the north Odisha town following allegations of water in a local drain turning red, which some suspected was “animal blood because of cow slaughter”. “The incident led to altercations between the two communities and then stone pelting. The police resorted to lathi charge to bring the situation under control,” said police sources. Four to five policemen and civilians were injured while a few vehicles were damaged, said official sources. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi discussed the matter with the Balasore collector and directed him to bring the situation under control. Stating that Odisha is a peace-loving state, Majhi said public order will not be allowed to be disrupted under any circumstances. The district administration has also been holding peace committee meetings with locals.
