18 arrested for clash in Ganjam

Berhampur: Police on Friday arrested 18 persons for their alleged involvement in the clash between two neighbouring villages in Ganjam district over a land dispute. The villagers of Singipur and Ratnamanipur, under the Patapur police station limits in Ganjam district, were engaged in a clash over ownership claim on a parcel of land on Thursday. At least three persons were injured in the clash, police said. Following the clash, prohibitory orders were imposed in the patch of land by the district administration on Thursday, which will be extended for two months to maintain the law and order situation, said Berhampur Sub-Collector Avinash Kumar.

Ganjam SP Subhendu Patra said 10 persons from Singipur and eight from Ratnamanipur were arrested. Police are also searching for some other persons who were involved in the clash, he said. Four platoons of forces were deployed to maintain law and order in the area, the SP said. Aska Sub-Divisional Police Officer Santosh Jena was monitoring the situation as tension continued to prevail in the area.

The clash between the villagers started when the people of Ratnamanipur started preparing for a yagna by constructing boundary walls in the disputed land measuring around one acre. They also wanted to use the land to make a park.

The villagers of Singipur, however, wanted to set up a bus stand in the patch of land along with a community toilet. ‘’Our first priority is to maintain peace in the area and prohibit the entry of anyone into the disputed site. After prevailing peace, we will plan for proper utilisation of the stretch of land in a proper manner, consulting with the people of both the villages,’’ said the Sub-Collector.