Bhubaneswar, April 5 A clash erupted between two groups in Malkangiri district of Odisha, a senior police officer said on Sunday.
The incident took place at a tribal-inhabited village, Palkonda, on Saturday evening over the holding of prayers by a particular group in the village, the police officer said.
"The disturbance erupted between the two groups as one majority group asked the other to conduct the prayers in another location on the outskirts of the village, as they needed to conduct some rituals inside the village. However, the other group objected, leading to a heated argument," Raj Kishore Dash, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Malkangiri, told
In anger, some members of the majority group removed the asbestos roofing from the roofs of three houses belonging to the other group, he added, "The district administration is restoring the roofs."
Upon receiving information, a police force, along with senior officers of the district, rushed to the village and restored normalcy, Dash said.
Two platoons of police (60 personnel) have been deployed in the village, he said.
"We have registered a case against 25 people, including 10 identified individuals, for their alleged involvement in the violence. So far, five have been arrested, and a search is underway to apprehend the others," the ASP said.
He stated that a meeting of the peace committee was held in the village on Sunday, with representatives from both groups and officers from the district administration present.
In the meeting, both groups agreed to live peacefully and harmoniously, with mutual understanding, he stated.