Keonjhar, Jun 3: A long-standing boundary dispute between Shankhana village under Nandipada police limits and Tentulinanda village under Soso police station in Anandapur subdivision of Keonjhar district took a violent turn on Tuesday evening, leaving several people injured from both sides.
According to reports, tensions had been simmering between residents of a hamlet in Shankhana and the people of Tentulinanda over the demarcation of village boundaries. The situation escalated when residents of Tentulinanda allegedly dumped soil on the disputed land earlier in the day, drawing objections from the Shankhana side.
The conflict intensified in the evening while a meeting of Tentulinanda villagers was underway. During the meeting, two youths reportedly stepped out for some reason and were allegedly targeted with stone-pelting by unidentified persons. After returning and informing others about the incident, anger spread among the villagers, triggering a confrontation between the two groups.
Soon, the dispute erupted into a violent clash, with both sides hurling stones at each other. Several people sustained injuries in the stone-pelting. Sources said at least four injured persons from Tentulinanda village were shifted to a hospital for treatment.
On receiving information, police teams from Nandipada and Soso police stations rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. Security has been tightened in the area to prevent any further escalation, while police are investigating the circumstances that led to the clash.
