Cuttack, April 19: Seven persons were arrested today for allegedly attacking policemen and ransacking public property after a group clash at Jatamundia village in Banki, about 65km from Bhubaneswar.

The police said youths of Jatamundia and Karbar villages got into a brawl during Jhamu Yatra at Jatamundia last evening. As soon as one person from Karbar was arrested, others from the same village gheraoed the police station demanding his release. Protesting against this, many people from Jatamundia village then resorted to road blockade.

Trouble erupted when the mob attacked the police when the latter had gone to pacify the villagers and remove the road blockade.

About seven police officers, including Banki inspector-in-charge, were injured in the stone pelting by the mob that had blocked the Cuttack-Banki road. “We have arrested seven people and they have been produced in court,” said rural SP, Rajatkanti Mishra.

Assistant sub-inspectors Sukant Biswal, Anam Nayak and home guard Ashok Mangual, who had sustained severe injuries, were shifted to the S.C.B. Medical College and Hospital last evening.

“They were not in a mood to listen and attacked us. About 5-6 members of our staff have been injured,” said Biswal.

“We had gone to the spot after getting information that some people had blocked the road. Around 2,000 people had gathered there. They pelted stones at us,” said Mangual.

The mob allegedly also attacked an autorickshaw and looted cash and other valuables of a lady passenger.

Following the incident, police resorted to lathicharge and fired in the air to disperse the unruly crowd. Around seven people have been injured in the police retaliation.

“We had fire one round in air to control the situation. One of the protestors had tried to snatch away a rifle from our jawan,” said Banki inspector-in-charge, Gyanaranjan Samal.