Four arrested after scuffle with police over firecrackers in Cuttack

• Four people were arrested after a confrontation with police during Diwali celebrations in Cuttack’s Nayasadak area

• Police said officers intervened because firecracker bursting on the busy road was troubling commuters

• The accused, aged between 20 and 32, face charges under the BNS and the Odisha Urban Police Act, 2003

Four people have been arrested following a scuffle with police personnel who intervened to stop firecracker bursting on a busy road in Cuttack during Diwali celebrations on Sunday night, officials said.

The confrontation took place in the Nayasadak area on 8 November. According to police, a group was setting off firecrackers on the road, creating difficulties for commuters.

A police team led by assistant commissioner of police Ananya Awasthi reached the area after receiving information and asked the group to stop. Officials said the accused then attempted to attack Awasthi and other personnel at the scene.

Cuttack deputy commissioner of police Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo said the accused also attempted to attack members of a Quick Action Team when it arrived from a nearby police station.

A video purportedly showing the confrontation circulated widely on social media. PTI said it could not independently verify the footage’s authenticity.

The four arrested people, aged between 20 and 32, have been booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Odisha Urban Police Act, 2003, the DCP said.

Further investigation is under way.

With PTI inputs