Around 40 people including five women were injured when a mob of 200 went on the rampage at Palmanpet village in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday morning.

According to the officials, the mob not only roughed up the villagers, but also ransacked the village. The mob was believed to be comprised people from Chinnarajaiahpet, Korlaiahpet, Vemavaram, Musalaiahpet and Eedaram hamlets in the mandal.

It was said that longstanding enmity was the reason for the attack. A dispute erupted between fishermen in Palmanpet and Yadava groups on Monday night.

On Tuesday morning around 200 men wielding sticks and iron rods ransacked the village and attacked everyone indiscriminately.

Of the 40 injured, 20 were admitted to the Government Area Hospital, Tuni. Two people, whose condition is stated to be critical, were sent to the Kakinada government hospital.

The victims alleged that the people from Yadav community were trying to suppress them politically for the last 20 years and demanded the government to render justice.

Superintendent of Police Rahul Dev Sharma, Narsipatnam ASP Ishwarya Rastogi and RDO K Surya Rao rushed to the spot and controlled the situation.

The Superintendent of Police informed that six police pickets were deployed under the supervision of ASPs in Palmanpet to infuse confidence among the victims and to restore normalcy.

“We have already identified some of the accused and no one would be spared,” he asserted.

MLA Vangalapudi Anitha visited the village. He attributed the clashes to previous enmity. The police officials were believed to have summoned additional forces to help round up all the accused involved in the clashes. No cases were registered so far.

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By M. Divya Shri