13-05-2025
Bombs hurled at cops as Ganjam village fest turns violent
Berhampur: A peaceful evening meant to mark the beginning of the revered 'Jogamma Yatra' took a violent turn on Sunday night at the tranquil village of Pati Sunapur under Marine police station limits. What began as a gathering of villagers soon spiralled into a violent confrontation with the police, leaving six officers injured and multiple government vehicles damaged.
In a dramatic standoff that unfolded around 9 pm, nearly 100 to 150 villagers, both men and women, armed with weapons and petrol bombs, barricaded the main village road at Pati Sunapur Square. Their motive was to halt the ongoing yatra in protest. According to sources, while one group of villagers was in favour of Jogamma Yatra in the village from Sunday, another wanted to defer it to the last week of this month.
Despite the prompt arrival of Marine police station personnel and Executive Magistrate-cum-Tehsildar of Chikiti, the protesters remained defiant. What ensued was a tense dialogue that quickly gave way to hostility. The mob, allegedly led by 22 individuals, including 18 women and 4 men, resorted to hurling stones and incendiary bombs at police personnel, endangering lives and disrupting public order.
The sudden eruption of violence left a trail of shattered glass, scorched jute threads and gunpowder-scented debris, grim remnants of the confrontation. Authorities swiftly acted, arresting all 22 accused individuals from the village.
Those arrested were P Kamamma (55), B Debaki (40), B Sunita (40), Ch Hema (40), Ch Gureya, B Parbati (40) G Tulasamma (35), B Nolama (40), B Sitamma (40), G Jogamma (50), L Tulasamma (40), D Parbati (50), B Saraswati (45), W Mutalayaama (40), B Kamudu (45), B Ramlu (35), P Dhana Laxmi (45), R Kumari (40), B Sakuntala (45), K Krishna Rao (32), G Tateya (25), L Gopal (24) and P Koteshu (34) all belonging to Pati Sunapur village.
The accused face charges under multiple sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Explosive Substances Act, and Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act. They were produced before the court on Monday.
This eruption of violence during a sacred community observance has cast a shadow over the Jogamma Yatra. As the village grapples with the aftermath, law enforcement remains on high alert to prevent further escalation.
