Riots in fresh areas of Orissa, curfew on

BHUBANESWAR: Curfew was imposed in Jeypore town of southern Orissa's Koraput district on Saturday after clashes between Hindus and Christians. Reports reaching Bhubaneswar said police fired at the rioters injuring two. Five cops were also injured. ( Watch ) The situation in nearby Kandhamal, centre of the week-long riots following the killing of a local VHP leader and his four disciples on August 23, was tense but peaceful. "The situation is tense in Jeypore. We are tightening the security. We are also keeping a close watch on situation in other areas," DIG Sanjeeb Panda said over phone. He said trouble started from a local college where some "objectionable posters had been pasted". Soon, two groups of students clashed. Later, tension spilled over to the town with large number of protesters marching towards a 125-year-old church in the town. Police opend fire to disperse the marchers who went berserk attacking a prayer hall and people on the way. Scores of vehicles were either damaged or set on fire. Later a company of CRPF was rushed to Koraput. "Forces from other areas are also being dispatched to the troubled place", a senior police officer said. "Curfew was imposed in Jeypore as angry people fought a pitched battle and indulged in stone throwing, besides attacking a police station," Koraput SP Deepak Kumar said adding five police personnel were injured in stone-pelting. The mob also damaged furniture and other structures at the police station. "We fired rubber bullets but that did not work," a senior police officer said. Police said a number of prayer halls and a church in the town and its peripheral area were set on fire. Traffic on the Raipur-Chennai NH-43 came to a halt as people blocked the road. "The Koraput-Jeypore Road has been blocked. We are trying to clear it in the night," DGP Gopal Nanda said. "Elsewhere in the state, the situation has improved. Some elements are, however, trying to keep the violence alive," he said. CM Naveen Patnaik on Saturday visited Kandhamal and met people in relief camps. He also reviewed the situation at a high-level meeting in the district headquarters town of Phulbani. The CM will visit Jalespeta ashram on Sunday where the VHP leader was killed.
source:TOI