Cuttack violence - Curfew, internet ban imposed

The Odisha government on Sunday night imposed prohibitory orders across 13 police station areas and suspended internet services in Cuttack, following fresh violence in which 25 people were injured during a group clash at a Durga idol immersion procession.

Police Commissioner S. Dev Datta Singh stated that the orders would remain in effect for 36 hours from 10 pm on Sunday. The prohibitory measures cover the areas under Dargah Bazaar, Mangalabag, Cantonment, Purighat, Lalbag, Bidanasi, Market Nagar, CDA Phase-2, Malgodam, Badambadi, Jagatpur, Bayalis Mouza, and Sadar police stations.

Earlier, the state government had suspended internet services in Cuttack Municipal Corporation, Cuttack Development Authority (CDA), and adjoining Bayalis Mauza regions from 7 pm Sunday to 7 pm Monday, aiming to prevent the spread of misinformation.

Officials said the violence erupted after the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) organized a motorcycle rally in the evening, defying the district administration’s orders. According to Singh, the rally participants became violent when security personnel blocked their advance.

“The participants’ attempt to enter a sensitive area threatened communal harmony. The police intervened, after which the crowd resorted to stone-pelting. Personnel had to employ mild lathicharge, tear gas, and rubber bullets to disperse them,” Singh said.

Of the 25 injured, eight were police personnel. Singh also referred to a prior clash between groups on the night of Friday and Saturday, which left four civilians and two personnel injured. Three of the civilians were discharged on Saturday, while the fourth remains hospitalized in stable condition.

Singh warned against false narratives circulating on social media, including misinformation about his health, aimed at inciting fear and disrupting harmony. “Police are actively monitoring platforms where fake videos and inflammatory rumors are being shared. Strict legal action will be taken against those responsible,” he said, urging citizens not to forward unverified messages and to report suspicious content.

Police said the clashes occurred between 1:30 am and 2 am on Saturday near Haathi Pokhari in Dargah Bazaar, when an immersion procession was moving toward Debigara on the Kathajodi riverbanks. Violence erupted after some locals objected to high-decibel music. The disagreement escalated when a mob reportedly pelted stones and glass bottles from rooftops, injuring several revellers, including Cuttack DCP Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo.

In Sunday’s violence, CCTV cameras were damaged, and shops in Gourishankar Park were allegedly set on fire after police halted the procession, officials said.

Describing the incidents as “unfortunate,” Cuttack District Collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde stated that the situation is now under control, but prohibitory orders were imposed as a precaution. Ten companies of security personnel (130 each) have been deployed, with requisitions made for additional forces.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, BJD chief Naveen Patnaik, and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan urged residents to maintain communal harmony. “Cuttack is a 1,000-year-old city known for its brotherhood. The peace of the city has been disturbed due to the actions of a few miscreants,” Majhi said.

Former Chief Minister Patnaik also expressed concern over law and order, highlighting Odisha’s reputation as a peace-loving state. Barabati-Cuttack MLA Sofia Firdus of the Congress described the developments as “saddening and worrisome.”

Meanwhile, the VHP has announced a 12-hour bandh in Cuttack on Monday to protest the recent group clash during the Durga idol procession.