Bhubaneswar, Oct 10: A youth was critically injured in an alleged attack following a clash between two groups of non-students in Umerkote town of Odisha’s Nabarangpur district, triggering tension ahead of the state’s student union elections scheduled for October 15.

The injured youth has been identified as Deep Kamal Mahapatra. He was initially admitted to Umerkote Sub-Divisional Hospital and later shifted to Visakhapatnam after his condition reportedly deteriorated. Tension also prevailed on the hospital premises following the incident.

According to reports, members of two groups had an altercation outside Umerkote College on Friday over an unspecified issue. Although the situation was temporarily brought under control, tensions resurfaced on Saturday morning.

As per the complaint, a youth identified as Abhishek Panda was allegedly attacked by members of a rival group in the DNK area. Later, when Deep Kamal Mahapatra’s group was holding a discussion near Trinath Temple in DNK, around 30 to 40 youths allegedly launched a sudden attack.

Eyewitnesses claimed that Deep Kamal was assaulted with a knife and a billhook, sustaining injuries to his abdomen, hand and leg. He was rushed to hospital in critical condition.

A complaint has been lodged at Umerkote police station, and police have initiated an investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify those responsible. The clash occurred while election-related procedures were underway at the college.

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