Khurda imposes prohibitory orders after village boundary clash

Bhubaneswar: The Khurda district administration in Odisha has imposed prohibitory orders following a clash between residents of two villages over a boundary dispute, officials said Thursday. According to police, villagers of Ostapur and Kotapalla under Baghamari police station limits resorted to violence Wednesday night after a heated argument over a long-standing border dispute. Sources reported that the dispute arose over the installation of a signboard marking the boundary between the two villages. Three to four roadside shops were gutted, and several people sustained injuries during the clash. The local administration imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), officials said. According to an order by Khurda Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Saphalya Mandita Pradhan, the prohibitory order has been imposed from Hanuman Batika to Barika Pokhari in the Ostapur–Kotapalla area. Residents of the two villages have been directed not to open shops or assemble in public places until further notice. In August, prohibitory orders were imposed in the same area after a similar incident of violence. Around 30 police personnel have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order, officials said.