Bhubaneswar, Oct 6: In the wake of fresh violence in Cuttack during a bike rally organised by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Sunday evening (October 5) over the attack on a Durga Puja immersion procession, the authorities imposed a curfew in several sensitive areas of the city for the next 36 hours, said officials on Monday.

Speaking at a press conference in Cuttack on Sunday, Commissioner of Police S. Dev Datta Singh said, “The situation has been brought under control. A curfew has been imposed in the violence-affected area and other vulnerable areas for the next 36 hours. Any person found participating in riots will be dealt with strictly. Strict action will also be taken against those involved in today’s violence.”

The Commissioner of Police also informed that the curfew will remain in force in Dargha Bazar, Mangalabag, Cantonment, Puri Ghat, Lalbag, Bidanasi, Markatnagar, CDA-Phase II, Malgodown, Badambadi, Jagatpur, 42 Mouza and Sadar Police station area for the next 36 hours.

He, however, clarified that medical and other essential services, government offices, schools, and market areas where milk and basic groceries will be available have been exempted from the curfew.

Singh said that four persons had been injured in the violent incident perpetrated by some individuals during the Durga Idol immersion at Dargha Bazar late Friday night.

He noted that six accused persons identified through CCTV footage analysis were arrested on Saturday and presented in court. Singh also rubbished a rumour doing the rounds on social media platforms regarding the death of one of the four victims injured during the violence on Friday night. He also warned action against the persons spreading such rumours on social media.

The commiserate police informed that in the course of the clash, four individuals sustained injuries. Of these, three (Pintu Mahar, Mukesh Mahar and Subhashree Jena) have been discharged following treatment on October 4. The fourth person (Sankar Biswal) remains under medical care and is currently stable, talking and not in any danger. No fatalities have occurred in connection with this incident.

“Protesting the incident that occurred on Friday night, the VHP had proposed to organise a bike rally. However, the Commissionerate police did not grant permission, anticipating potential disturbances. Ignoring police instructions, the protesters attempted to enter sensitive areas where communal peace could have been disrupted. The police stopped and warned them, after which the protesters pelted stones at the officers, injuring 25 personnel, including eight seriously. The police later dispersed the crowd using baton charges and rubber bullets,” said the police commissioner.

The Home Department had earlier also suspended Internet services in Cuttack city and surrounding areas for 24 hours on Sunday. Meanwhile, the VHP has called for a 12-hour bandh on Monday protesting against the violent incident that took place at Dargha Bazar area of the city on Friday night.

Mumbai, Oct 6: Indian stock markets opened slightly higher on Monday, supported by gains in banking and IT shares, as investor sentiment improved following the Reserve Bank of India’s recent lending reforms and ahead of the upcoming quarterly earnings season.

At the opening bell, the Sensex rose 67 points, or nearly 0.09 per cent, to 81,274.79, while the Nifty advanced 22 points, or nearly 0.10 per cent, to 24,916.55.

Among the major gainers on the Sensex were Bajaj Finance, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, HCL Tech, TCS, Trent, and Infosys, which climbed up to 1 per cent.

In the broader markets, the Nifty MidCap and Nifty SmallCap indices also moved up by 0.11 per cent and 0.08 per cent, respectively.

Market analysts said the Indian equity benchmarks showed strength despite global uncertainties and domestic challenges.

They attributed the positive momentum to the RBI’s dovish stance, which kept the repo rate unchanged at 5.5 per cent, while lowering the inflation forecast for FY26 and raising the GDP growth outlook.

“Capital market lending reforms and expectations of strong festive demand also boosted investor confidence,” analysts added.

Analysts, however, advised traders to remain cautious amid ongoing volatility.

“A buy-on-dips strategy remains advisable, especially in leveraged positions. Investors should book partial profits on rallies and use tight stop-losses. Fresh long positions should be taken only if the Nifty sustains above the 25,000 mark,” they said.

This week, market activity is expected to be influenced by corporate earnings announcements, management commentaries on the second half of FY26, developments in the IPO market, the release of FOMC minutes, and US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s speech.

Hopes of progress in the India-US trade deal are also likely to guide investor sentiment.

On Friday, both benchmark indices had extended their rally for a second straight session.

The Sensex had closed 223.86 points, or 0.28 per cent, higher at 81,207.17, while the Nifty rose 57.95 points, or 0.23 per cent, to settle at 24,894.25.

Mumbai: The son of a local leader from Shiv Sena (UBT) was arrested by Nirmal Nagar police on October 1 for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl inside the gents’ public toilet in Bandra East. The City Civil and Sessions Court in Mazgaon sent him into police custody until October 6.

According to the police, on October 1, the accused took the victim into the public gents’ toilet in Bandra East and allegedly raped her, after which he threatened her life. The case has been registered under the POCSO Act. The investigation is on.