Cuttack: People came out of houses, their steps quick but cautious, as the 36-hour curfew to stitch back together the Cuttack city’s frayed social fabric came to an end at 10 am on Tuesday.
According to sources, the wholesale market of Chhatra Bazar has opened and barricades, expect those at Dargha Bazar, have been removed with nearly 50 platoons of police still manning key areas to ensure full security and prevent any fresh disturbances. Internet shutdown in the city, however, will continue till evening amid concerns over the misuse of social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and X for spreading provocative and inflammatory messages, which were attributed to fresh violence in the city on Sunday.
Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissioner of Police S Dev Datta Singh confirmed that no new notification has been issued regarding the extension of the curfew, which was imposed in the city after two incidents of violence left at least 31 injured, including 10 police personnel. “No untoward incident occurred after that. No law-breaking attempts were made. Police patrolling and static deployment will continue at sensitive places. It is peaceful now. We have received feedback that people are feeling safe, and normalcy has been restored. We will be closely monitoring the situation,” Singh said.
A total of nine persons have so far been arrested for their alleged involvement in violence, vandalism and attack on cops on Sunday evening, he added.