Bhubaneswar, Aug. 24: Around 50 people, mostly women, from Raghunath Nagar in Dumduma, today gheraoed Khandagiri police station for nearly an hour alleging that innocent villagers had been arrested in an attempt to murder case.

The police had detained some people in connection with the attempt on the life of a 28-year-old youth on August 17 on the campus of an upper primary school in Raghunath Nagar. The victim Daitari Pradhan was found lying in a pool of blood on the school verandah on the morning of August 18. He had sustained severe head injuries and had been admitted to S.C.B. Medical College and Hospital.

The victim’s family had complained to the police that they suspected the involvement of one Kalia Das. Following this, the protesters alleged, the Khandagiri police had detained around seven persons of the same name.

“We heard today that my two brothers — Kalia Patra and Balia Patra — had been forwarded to court because one of them has the same name as that of Kalia Das. But the police did not listen to us. This forced us to gherao the police station,” said Jagabandhu Pradhan, an electrician.

Some other people also alleged that police had detained their relatives and friends without any reason. “My son was not involved in the incident, but the police have detained him. They are not giving me any information about my son,” said an agitators.

The Khandagiri police today produced three persons in the court. They were remanded in jail after their bail pleas were rejected.

The police, however, denied having detained people not related to the case. “We arrested only three persons and forwarded them to court,” a police officer said.