(Image Source: X.com/ANI)
At least 25 individuals were hurt in new clashes in Cuttack, Odisha, during a Durga idol immersion procession when a group fight broke out. The incident prompted the imposition of a curfew and the suspension of internet and social media in the major areas of the city to prevent further unrest.
The first violence broke out late Friday night (October 4, 2025), between 1:30 am and 2 am, in the Dargha Bazaar. The violence began when a local community allegedly protested against the noise of the music being played by the Jhanjirimangala Bhagabat Puja Committee immersion procession near Haathi Pokhari.
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The altercation soon escalated into a fight, with stones and glass bottles said to have been thrown from rooftops onto the crowd. The mayhem that ensued resulted in damage to a number of vehicles and roadside stalls. The ferocity of the violence also derailed the procession of another committee, the Rausapatna Durga Kali Medha, which was trailing behind. Police were forced to do a lathi charge (baton charge) to scatter the crowd and restore order.
A number of individuals, including Cuttack Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo, were injured. DCP Dnyandeo was said to have suffered an eye injury. The episode provoked indignation amongst locals, who organized a demonstration, blaming the administration for being unable to stop the clash. Immersion activities were suspended temporarily after the incident until the early hours of Saturday.Â
Tensions were rekindled on Sunday (October 6, 2025) when fresh violence erupted between protesters and police at Dargah Bazar as protesters clashed with the police, causing at least 25 more injuries.
As a precaution against growing violence, the Odisha government has taken extreme steps. Prohibitory orders (a kind of curfew) have been clamped in 13 police station zones of Cuttack, which will remain in place for 36 hours from 10 pm on Sunday.
In addition, internet and social media services such as mobile internet, broadband, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram were shut down for 24 hours throughout the area of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation and the surrounding areas from 7 PM on Sunday. This was done to prevent the circulation of "provocative and inflammatory messages" that would again disturb public order.
Police have already arrested six individuals and are employing CCTV camera and drone footage to identify the other accused persons. The right-wing organization Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has, meanwhile, demanded a 12-hour bandh (strike) in Cuttack for Monday. The city is still in a state of high alert, with the administration trying to rebuild peace.
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