Bhubaneswar, March 4: Two policemen today suffered injuries after allegedly being roughed up by the henchmen of a real estate developer, whom they had gone to arrest in connection with a cheating case.

The incident took place near Canal Road in the Laxmi Sagar police station area, when sub-inspector S.S. Parida and assistant sub-inspector Prasanna Nayak of Saheed Nagar police station went to arrest builder Manoj Mohanty.

The police said Manoj was among the three accused involved in a land fraud case. While two of his associates — Santosh Rout and Rajkishore Behera — were arrested three days ago following a complaint filed at Saheed Nagar police station on February 26, Manoj had been absconding since then.

“Acting on a tip-off, we reached the house where Manoj was hiding. But, some people resisted our entry. While we were trying to pacify them, around 20 persons assaulted us,” said Nayak.

While Parida was wearing police uniform, Nayak was in plain clothes. The group allegedly chased both the policemen up to a distance around 200 metres and kept hitting them.

Later, a police control van rushed to the spot. But, the builder’s henchmen attacked the policemen in the vehicle as well. Nayak and Parida have suffered severe injuries.

The police said the two officers were attacked after some of the associates of the builders had instigated others saying that the duo were fake.

“Their intention was to help Mohanty escape from the spot,” said inspector in charge of Saheed Nagar police station K.P. Mishra.

Later, the police arrested five persons, including Mohanty, in connection with the attack. A case of violence has been filed at Laxmi Sagar police station.

The police said Mohanty had cheated Bidyadhar Sethy from whom he had taken Rs 6 lakh, promising to provide him land at Laxmi Sagar. “Sethy is yet to get the land,” said a police officer, adding that cases of land fraud were rising in Bhubaneswar, which is witnessing a construction boom.