Bhubaneswar, Oct. 5: At least 15 persons, including 10 policemen, were injured in a pitched battle between police and slum dwellers during a raid at Chhend in Rourkela today.

The injured persons, which included deputy superintendent of police Ranjit Bhoi, were admitted to the government hospital in Rourkela.

Later, the police arrested 43 persons for attacking them.

A senior police official said they were conducting an early morning raid at Bagudi today to arrest the accused involved in a clash in the town on September 26.

On that day, some slum dwellers had locked up a temple at Chhend and disrupted Durga Puja preparations at Kalinga Vihar. This incident had spread tension in the city. Later, the police arrested a few persons following complaint from both sides.

The cops faced stiff resistance while conducting the raid today and slum dwellers pelted stones at them. “The slum dwellers opposed our raid. They pelted us with stones and attacked us with lathis and sharp weapons. Some of our constables were injured,” said Bhoi, who suffered injuries on his right hand.

Bomb attack

Goons lobbed bombs at the secretary of a private bus owners’ association near Arunodaya market in Cuttack this morning. The victim managed to escape with minor injuries.

Six criminals lobbed three crude bombs at Ajay Barik, 50, when he was returning home from office near Link Road around 9.20am. Barik has suffered multiple injuries on his right leg and is undergoing treatment at SCB hospital.

It is suspected that Barik had been attacked over some past rivalry related to bus transport business at Badambadi depot in Cuttack.

“I had been receiving threats from goons over business disputes for the past couple of months. I also reported the matter to the police,” Barik said.

Senior police officials visited the spot following the incident. “We are trying to ascertain the motive behind the attack and all possible angles are being verified,” said deputy commissioner of police S. Praveen Kumar.