Bhubaneswar, January 12: Hundreds of villagers from Kusmel panchayat on Monday staged a protest outside the Bolangir Sadar Police Station , accusing the police of inaction regarding an electricity wire theft case.

The theft occurred a few days ago in Kusmel, and the villagers had reported it to the police. However, the accused were reportedly brought to the station but released without facing strict action, fueling anger among locals.

The situation escalated when police allegedly brought Kusmel sarpanch to the station.

In response, residents blockaded the Bolangir-Patnagarh road, disrupting traffic.