Houses set ablaze in Orissa

Jeypore, May 21 (UNI) Unidentified men of a particular community allegedly torched several houses in Ganganagar area here last night, police said today.

Police said tension was palpable in Jeypore town following a group clash between two communities of Bapujinagar and Ganganagar after two criminals had allegedly slit the throat of a person of Bapuji Nagar.

The residents of Bapuji Nagar later resorted to demonstration in front of the police station, demanding immediate arrest of the culprits and threatened to hit the streets if no action was taken.

While the police were trying to arrest the criminals, some unknown people of Bapujinagar areas entered Ganganagar late last night and torched the houses of the two attackers.

The fire spread to other place and about 20 houses turned to ashes within a few minutes. But, timely action by the police saved nearly two hundred thatched houses from the blaze.

Koraput SP Deepak Kumar, Jeypore MLA Rabi Narayan Nanda and Jaypore Municipality Vice-Chairman Muna Rath rushed to the spot and requested the people not to give the incident a communal colour and maintain harmony.

Police have been deployed in both Ganganagar and Bapuji Nagar areas to prevent any untoward incident.

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