KEONJHAR: Tension prevailed in Champua PS area of Odisha’s Keonjhar district after vandals destroyed a nearly 200-year-old place of worship in Jharkhand‘s Jayantigarh village Friday evening, reports Naresh Chandra Pattanayak. Jayantigarh is located on the banks of Baitarani river which borders Odisha and Jharkhand. The incident triggered road blockades and market closures in both the states.
The desecration was found by a devotee when he went to light the evening lamp. Angry protesters blocked NH-20, burnt tyres and forced shops to close. The blockade has halted inter-state vehicle movement.
Nitin Kushalkar, SP, Keonjhar, said, “We deployed forces on Champua border to prevent any untoward incident. Four platoons of forces have been stationed in the area.” Jharkhand Police has convened a peace committee meeting to maintain calm in the area.
