Bhubaneswar, April 7 At least 70 people, including 58 security personnel, were injured on Tuesday in a clash with local tribal people over the construction of a road to the Sijimali bauxite mine in Odisha's Rayagada district, officials said.
The tribal people, who have been strongly opposing the road project at Shagabari village under the Kashipur block of the district, allegedly attacked the police personnel and district administration officials with swords, axes, and stones.
ADG (Law and Order) Sanjay Kumar said the injured police personnel were admitted to different hospitals in Rayagada and Visakhapatnam.
He said some women personnel were also injured in the indiscriminate stone pelting by the mob.
Rayagada SP Swathy S Kumar said a mob of around 250 villagers rounded up police personnel when they had gone to Kantamal village within the Kashipur police station area to arrest a person wanted in 14 criminal cases.
Sources said the accused person was one of the tribal leaders who opposed the road construction to the Sijimali mines.
"Our personnel, including policewomen, were encircled and pelted with stones. In self-defence, we lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the mob and evacuated the injured," Kumar told