Police recover 143 country made bombs, detain 17 villagers

Puri, Mar 18 (UNI) About 143 country made bombs have been ecovered from a farmhouse allegedly owned by a defeated zilla parishad Congress candidate Pratap Swain after violence was reported in Paikasahi village under Delang police station in the district.

The police dog squad was pressed into service yesterday to detect bombs hidden in the farmhouse. Later 'the bomb disposal squad from Cuttack arrived at the spot and defused the bombs.

The police have also rounded up 17 people of Hatapara for allegedly attacking the villagers of Paikasahi.

As per the FIR lodged by the villagers of Paiksahi, the accused had attacked them while they were on their way to the railway station.

Criminal cases were lodged against the accused persons. The violence, police said, was aresvit of a fallout of the Zilla Parisad polls in which Pratap Swain was defeated.

Earlier on March 13, Swain's henchmen had assaulted newly elected Naib sarpanch Jadumani Subudhi, a Biju Janata Dal supporter of Paikasahi village.

A case was lodged in the police station. Villagers alleged that since the police did not take any steps against the accused they were further assaulted by them. The administration has beefed up police strength in the area to curb any further violence.

UNI