Umerkote student election violence leaves one man critically stabbed

Violent clashes linked to student union elections at Pendrani College in Umerkote, Nabarangpur district, have left one man critically injured and several others wounded. The violence reportedly involved non-student groups allegedly backed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

During the scrutiny of nomination papers, outsiders allegedly entered the campus, triggering a confrontation that resulted in 42-year-old Deep Kamal Mohapatra sustaining multiple stab wounds to his chest and abdomen. He was transferred to Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, for advanced medical care. Two other individuals, Abdul and Abhisek Panda, also sustained injuries, and a motorcycle was set on fire during the unrest.

Following the incident, BJP supporters blocked the Umerkote–Nabarangpur highway and enforced a local bandh, causing businesses to close and halting traffic. The district administration deployed four platoons of police to restore order. Authorities have detained three individuals and are searching for two others involved in the violence.