Bhubaneswar, 24 December (H.S.) : The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Congress have jointly called for a bandh in Chandbali block of Odisha’s Bhadrak district on Thursday in protest against the alleged rape and murder of a minor girl in the area.

The bandh call was announced separately on Wednesday by Chandbali MLA and senior BJD leader Byomakesh Ray and Congress leader Digambar Das at press conferences. The shutdown will be observed from 6 am to 12 noon, during which party activists are expected to stage road blockades and hold picketing at various locations.

Meanwhile, public anger continued to simmer in Chandbali. On Tuesday, irate locals reportedly ransacked the house of the accused at Rampalli in Chandbali. The accused, identified as Babul Das, has been arrested from Jagatsinghpur.

Demanding swift justice, locals blocked roads at several places in Chandbali on Tuesday morning by burning tyres. According to reports, the victim, a Class III student, had left her house around 2 pm but did not return. Despite a search by family members, she could not be traced. Her body was later found by locals, who informed the family.

The incident triggered widespread outrage, with hundreds of people gathering at the spot. Protesters blocked the Bhadrak–Chandbali main road at Baligaon, burning tyres and staging demonstrations. The blockade led to hundreds of vehicles being stranded on both sides of the road on Tuesday night.

In view of the tense situation, heavy police deployment has been made across Chandbali to prevent further escalation and to maintain law and order.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda