Clash flares up, 30 houses gutted

PATNAGARH: Palpable tension prevailed at Lathore under Khaprakhol block after the Sunday clash that had 30 houses gutted. Four platoons of police have been deployed to maintain law and order.Meanwhile, the police have arrested 42 persons and shifted the 36 affected- families to SD High School at Lathore.Reports said two Dalit youths went to the shop of one Bharat Meher and purchased two shirts on Sunday morning. A scuffle broke out when they refused to pay the full amount. Meher was badly assaulted and had to be admitted to Patnagarh Sub- Division Hospital.Later, villagers belonging to the upper caste allegedly set fire to the house of one Jitendra Suna. The fire then spread to other houses reducing 30 of them to ashes. The fire rendered 36 families homeless.It is alleged that the upper caste villagers snatched away the pump from the fire brigade personnel and prevented them from putting out the flames. They also pelted stones which left them injured. Normalcy could be restored after deployments were rushed from Balangir at night.