Tension as locals set ablaze Phiringia PS, protest sale of seized ganja by cops

Phulbani: On Saturday, villagers in Odisha's Kandhamal district set fire to a police station, alleging police involvement in ganja smuggling.

According to sources, a police van loaded with ganja went to Budhakamba village in the district's Phiringia police station on Thursday night. The vehicle was detained by villagers led by Phiringia sarpanch Jalandhar Kanhar and former sarpanch Biswaranjan Kanhar.

They shot a video of the vehicle carrying ganja and sent it to Kandhamal SP, alleging that Phiringia police station personnel were involved in the smuggling of the contraband in the area. They demanded that IIC Tapan Kumar Mohanty and two home guards, Prasant Patra and Rabi Digal, be fired.

Because no action was taken against the police officers, hundreds of villagers staged a protest in Phiringia's main square. They chanted anti-IIC and anti-home guard slogans for assisting ganja smugglers.

After the demonstration had lasted a long time, the Phulbani SDPO and police officers went to the scene and attempted to persuade them to remove the roadblock. However, the enraged villagers ignored his words and allegedly attempted to attack them.

The villagers then ransacked the Phiringia police station. They also set fire to the police station's files, documents, and furniture. As tensions rose in the area, the district SP and police officers traveled to Phiringia to bring the situation under control. The villagers' agitation continued until the report was submitted.