Police on Wednesday arrested 35 people and re-imposed day curfew in sensitive areas of Kandhamal district in Orissa in the wake of fresh violence there, official sources said.
"As many as 35 persons have been arrested from different parts of the district in connection with the violent incidents and rioting in several areas," Deputy Inspector General of Police R P Koche told PTI.
Though Koche declined to specify whether the arrested persons included some BJP and RSS activists, unofficial sources claimed that a couple of local leaders of saffron outfits were among those held.
The authorities seemed to have come down heavily against trouble makers and picking them up after the violence at Rudangia, Gadaguda and Telingia villages of G Udaygiri area on Tuesday. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has warned that the guilty would be punished 'very severely'.
Tribals seek CRPF exit from Kandhamal
As a precautionary measure, day curfew was clamped in nine sensitive areas to prevent any untoward incident, Kandhamal district collector Krishan Kumar said.
"We are reviewing the situation from time to time and keeping a close watch. No fresh incident has taken place since Tuesday," he said.
Areas where day curfew was clamped were Phulbani, Raikia, G Udaygiri, Tikabali, Tumudibandha, Nuagaon, Gochhapada, Phiringia and Baliguda, official sources said.
As part of steps to ensure public safety, all the licensed gun holders in the riot-hit district have been asked to surrender their weapons.
A woman was killed and at least eight others were injured in mob attacks in G Udaygiri area on Tuesday.
