Rourkela: A team of police officers, which had been to Banilata village to arrest two persons on charges of murder and attack, were held hostage by the villagers.

Later, the cops were rescued and 25 villagers got arrested in this connection.

On Sunday around 9pm, Hatibari police, led by officer-in-charge Shymlal Oram, had been to the Banilata village in Sundargarh district to arrest Rajkishore Gouda and Patras Xoxo. Gouda had allegedly killed a person in an accident nearly one-and-a-half years ago, while Xoxo had stabbed someone a year ago.

The villagers took offence when the police started asking the whereabouts of the accused. "The villagers said according to the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Area (PESA) Act, without the gram sabha police cannot arrest anyone. They asked how could we enter the village without permission to arrest these two people," said Oram who was taken hostage.

In the process, the two accused managed to give the cops a slip. Following this, a scuffle ensued between the police and the villagers.

The police vehicle was allegedly punctured by the villagers who also pelted them with stones. Finally, the cops were taken hostage by the villagers. They had been kept hostage from 9pm till 3.30am, till the police reinforcement reached.

Sundargarh police superintendent Soumya Mishra and collector Vineet Bhardwaj rushed to the spot. The police got into action and released their colleagues.