Balangir, Jan. 11: Police remained mute spectators as nearly 1,000 animals and birds were slaughtered in the district today during Sulia Yatra, a festival of which animal sacrifice is an integral part.

Tribals defied the prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC putting goats, sheep and even buffaloes to sword at San Khala in Kumuria and at another place. Though cops had prevented at least eight persons from entering the festival site, it hardly dampened the tribals’ spirit to go ahead with the ritual.

Though there was no sacrifice at Khairguda, the main seat of Sulia deity, blood flowed at Kumuria and another place barely a few kilometres away.

Eyewitness Laxman Pradhan of Tarabha said animals were slaughtered in presence of the police. “I was surprised to see the police allow sacrifice despite prohibitory orders at San Khala. The cops remained mute spectators as tribals carried on with the ritual killings,” he said.

Saroj Tripathy, another eyewitness, said police did not intervene though tribals had created a new “khala” (a place where the sacrifice is carried out), 200 metres away from San Khala and sacrificed animals. “Police didn’t do anything to stop animal sacrifice in the newly created khala,” Tripathy said.

However, police said there was no violation of Section 144 anywhere during the festival. Balangir sub-divisional police officer Balabhadra Deep said: “Some people were trying to carry out sacrifice at San Khala, but we stopped and drove them away. Some, however, managed to kill animals at other places and brought these to San Khala. However, we ensured there was no sacrifice at the three places where Section 144 had been clamped. We can’t do anything if someone carries out the sacrifice somewhere else where the prohibitory order has not been imposed,” Deep said. Five platoons of police were deployed to maintain law and order during the festival.

Convenor of Sulia Sanskar Manch Santanu Naik said there was no animal sacrifice at the main site in Khairguda and Kumuria. Naik said the district administration had extended all cooperation to stop the practice.

Naik further said though there was animal sacrifice at other places, compared to the past, it had drastically come down. “Though animal sacrifice took place at other places, it was much less,” he said.

For the last one month, the district administration has been taking up various programmes to create awareness among people at the nearby villages. Last year, Orissa High Court asked the district authorities to take adequate measure to curb the malpractice. Moreover, representatives of the local panchayat, too, were sensitised regarding the drive.

However, on Tuesday, the tribals came in a procession with their traditional weapons to the site at Kumuria and started the killing.

At Khairguda, there was no animal sacrifice and the festival was held following the “satwik” tradition. People brought coconuts and other fruits instead of animals to offer to the deity.