Policemen keep vigil at Dayapalli on Tuesday. Pictures by Gopal Krishna Reddy

Berhampur, Feb. 21: In poll-related violence involving two rival factions, one person died and two sustained injuries at Dayapalli within the limits of Hinjili police station in Ganjam, about 15km from here, today.

The deceased was identified as S. Pitambara while the two injured are D. Pitambara and G. Mohan. All of them were residents of Dayapalli Badasahi, said police sources.

Villagers said a group of people attacked them with lathi and sharp weapons.

Aska sub-divisional police officer Binay Kumar Kamila said two platoons of police force had been deployed in the area to avoid any further incidents of violence.

Mohan has lodged a complaint at the Hinjili police station. “We have detained 18 persons in connection with the incident. We are interrogating them,” said Kamila.

Most members of the attacking group have fled the village to avoid arrest.

Today’s violence is believed to be a fallout of panchayat election results in which two candidates from Dayapalli Badasahi emerged victorious while their rivals from the other part of the village were defeated.

“This has prompted the supporters of the two defeated candidates to retaliate. Some people from Dayapalli Harijan Sahi started quarrelling with Prabhakar, an electrician, at the Balunkeswar temple situated near Dayapalli Badasahi, after a halogen light went off during the Maha Shivratri celebrations around 11pm. Immediately, about 50 people armed with lathi and other weapons rushed to the area from the other end of the village and started pelting stones at some of the houses at Dayapalli Badasahi. Four houses were damaged by the attackers. A television set was also damaged,” said Bairi Mantri, a resident of Dayapalli Badasahi and nephew of D. Pitambara, who was severely injured in the attack.

S. Pitambara was killed by the mob near the Balunkeswar temple when he was on his way to the paddy field this morning.

The mob also attacked D. Pitambara with sharp weapons near the same temple a few hours later.

“He has sustained multiple injuries,” said a doctor attending to him at Maharaja Krishna Chandra Gajapati Medical College and Hospital.