Bhubaneswar: Armed hooligans allegedly unleashed terror on Canal Road in Rasulgarh early on Thursday, vandalising a car parked by the roadside. Laxmisagar police have detained two persons in connection with the incident.“I woke up to the shocking sight of my car completely damaged. I had parked it on the roadside as usual,” said vehicle owner Akshaya Das.According to local residents, two groups of anti-socials, allegedly armed with weapons, chased each other along Canal Road around 2.30am. “We were terrified. By the time a police control room van reached the spot, the groups had fled,” a resident said.Locals claimed the clash was triggered by a dispute involving a bar owner and some others. “We heard that a violent clash broke out on Cuttack Road following a dispute between the bar owner and his rivals. Later, some of them reached near the bar owner’s residence on Canal Road,” said another resident.A resident claimed that during the chase, one of the men tried to flee on a motorcycle. “A car chasing him hit his bike, which then rammed into the stationary car. The impact damaged the parked vehicle,” he said.The incident has sparked concern among residents, who alleged that group rivalries and street clashes have become frequent in parts of Laxmisagar and Jharpada. “With Durga Puja approaching, such incidents are a matter of concern and may trigger serious law and order problems. Group rivalries in Jharpada and Laxmisagar have been worrying us for some time. We frequently see street fights and clashes. Police need to take strong action against such elements,” said another resident.Police said they were verifying the circumstances leading to the incident and examining the sequence of events. “Those found responsible will be arrested. We are alert to effectively handle law and order issues in the locality,” said an officer of Laxmisagar police station.
