The Hindu : Front Page : Curfew in Orissa towns after violence

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Wednesday, Dec 26, 2007
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Curfew in Orissa towns after violence

Sib Kumar Das

BERHAMPUR: Curfew was imposed in four towns of Orissa’s Kandhamal district on Tuesday after violence which broke out on Monday escalated. A youth was killed, six churches were vandalised and two houses of a Minister were targeted in largescale communal violence and arson, following an attack on a VHP leader, who led an anti-conversion movement.

The youth, yet to be identified, was killed and 25 were injured in mob violence at Barakhamba, a senior police officer said. Six churches, mostly thatched, were either ransacked or the vacant premises set on fire since Monday night, Revenue Divisional Commissioner Satyabrata Sahu said.

Two police outposts and a police vehicle were set on fire, he said. “We have imposed curfew in Phulbani, Baliguda, Daringbadi and Brahmanigaon to prevent further flare-up,” he said.

Unconfirmed reports said 12 churches were vandalised and additional forces deployed in sensitive pockets of the district, where of the total 6.50 lakh population, more than one lakh were Christian.

The violence began at Brahmanigaon village under Daringbadi area on Monday, gradually spreading to other parts of the district with miscreants attacking the houses of the Steel and Mines Minister Padmanabha Behera at Phiringia and Nuapadar villages.

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