Curfew was relaxed from violence-hit areas of Cuttack city on Tuesday as there was no report of any violence in the last 24 hours, Commissioner of Police, S Dev Datta Singh said. There was no report of any kind of violence in any part of the city, even during the 12-hour bandh call given by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Monday, he said. "The curfew was imposed for 36 hours from 10 pm of October 5 till 10 am on October 7 in the wake of two clashes on Saturday and Sunday. The order is not extended and therefore relaxed," Singh told reporters. Singh, however, did not reveal whether the curfew has been withdrawn.
The administration has imposed the curfew after two back-to-back clashes on Saturday and Sunday in which 31 people, including 10 police personnel were injured and many shops were gutted or damaged. The unrest originated during the Durga idol immersion procession at Dargha Bazar area on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday. Restrictions had been in place in Dargha Bazar, Mangalabag, Cantonment, Puri Ghat, Lalbag, Bidanasi, Markatnagar, CDA Phase-II, Malgodown, Badambadi, Jagatpur, Bayalish Mouza, and Sadar police station areas in Cuttack. Two separate incidents of violence were reported in Cuttack's Dargha Bazar area between Friday night and Sunday. The first clash occurred during the immersion procession of Goddess Durga idols, leaving six injured. The second incident erupted on Sunday evening when police stopped a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) bike rally from entering the sensitive zone, triggering stone pelting that injured at least 25 people, including eight policemen. The administration has suspended internet services for 48 hours till 7 pm on Tuesday to prevent "anti-social elements" from misusing the facility to spread rumours and disturb communal harmony. Meanwhile, 50 platoons (1,500 personnel) of police, along with eight companies of central armed force, including Rapid Action Force (RAF) are deployed in the city to maintain law and order situation, a senior officer said. In an advisory, the Odisha Police have urged the people to verify information before sharing it on social media and to refrain from posting false and inflammatory content. "Some individuals are creating an atmosphere of unrest in society by creating and spreading fake news. Strict action will be taken against those who are spreading and circulating false or misleading information," the police said.