Cuttack, November 10, 2026: Lalbag police on Monday arrested four persons for allegedly manhandling Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ananya Awasthi, a 2022-batch IPS officer, during an enforcement drive against the bursting of firecrackers beyond the permissible 9 pm limit in the city on Sunday night.
The accused have been identified as Binay Agrawal (32) and Mohit Nangalia (22) of Nayasadak, Krishna Soni (20) of Upper Telenga Bazar, and Yash Choudhury (23) of Kaligali. Police said all four are shopkeepers. The incident occurred in the Nayasadak locality.
According to reports, an argument broke out between local shopkeepers and police personnel when the latter directed them to stop bursting firecrackers after the permitted time in line with guidelines issued by the Odisha State Pollution Control Board. The dispute escalated into a scuffle, triggering tension in the area. Sources stated that despite police instructions, some shopkeepers continued bursting crackers on the road. When ACP Awasthi, who was present to oversee enforcement, intervened to enforce the restriction, a group allegedly manhandled her. Videos of the incident circulated widely on social media.
Following the confrontation, additional police force was deployed at the spot to prevent further escalation. On Monday, police examined CCTV footage along with the videos shared online, identified the persons involved, and arrested the four. Cuttack Deputy Commissioner of Police Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo stated that the number of arrests is expected to increase as the investigation continues.
The permissible window for bursting firecrackers on Diwali had been fixed from 7 pm to 9 pm. Police reported that some residents continued the activity on a busy road stretch well past the deadline, causing inconvenience to commuters. A case has been registered at Lalbag police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Odisha Urban Police Act. Further investigation is underway to identify any additional persons involved.
ACP Ananya Awasthi, an Odisha-cadre IPS officer, earlier served as the first woman Aide-de-Camp to the Governor of Odisha before returning to her current posting in the Cuttack Commissionerate.
