Jajpur: Tension prevailed in Kalinga Nagar steel hub after security personnel deployed at a private steel plant here allegedly thrashed more than 33 students and two teachers of a government-run residential high school on Sunday.

Angered over the incident, the school students along with their parents and guardians staged a road blockade near the plant main gate by burning tyres. The students are protesting against the alleged attack on them by the CISF jawans deployed as security guards in the Tata Steel Plant and demanding action against the attackers. As a result, traffic between Kalinga Nagar and Chandikhole on National Highway No. 53 was completely disrupted since 8am on Monday.

"We demand stern action against them as they have trespassed an educational institution at night," said Laxman, an agitator, who studies at the high school. "We will not withdraw our road blockade and agitation unless our demand is fulfilled," he said.

According to allegations by the agitators, the CISF personnel barged into the government school and thrashed 33 of its students along with two teachers on Sunday night. The injured students and teachers were later admitted to the local hospital at Danagadi.

The police reached the spot to take stock of the situation on Monday morning on being informed about the road blockade.

Though the reason behind the alleged act of attack by the security personnel was yet to be ascertained till last reports came in, however it is alleged that the students of the school pelted security personnel with stones at the CISF jawan camp. In a press release, chief of corporate communications, India & SEA of Tata Steel, Kulvin Suri, said several cases of stone pelting on security personnel of Tata Steel have been observed near the government school located close to the boundary wall of the private steel major in Kalinga Nagar.

One student of the school was caught red-handed on Thursday.