A man who returned to Odisha after attending the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi's Nizamuddin, along with two of his associates, led a group of villagers in attacking two state government officials and held them captive in the state's Jajpur district on Saturday, a senior official said.
The three were later detained and quarantined.
The incident took place at Gopinathpur village when District Collector Ranjan Kumar Das and other officers were overseeing implementation of the lockdown guidelines and the mandatory wearing of masks by residents.
"When the Block Development Officer (BDO) and the tehsildar were checking people on the streets, three unmasked men on a speeding motorbike fled towards Gopinathpur village," the collector said.
When the two officers chased them to the village, the three allegedly led a mob to attack the officers and held them captive, police said.
Later, policemen reached the place and rescued the officers, Mr Das said.
During interrogation it was found that one of them had attended the Tablighi Jamat congregation held in Delhi's Nizamuddin in March, he said.
The three thought that the officers were trying to stop them due to their Nizamuddin link, the collector said.
The Nizamuddin returnee and with his two associates were detained and quarantined. His contact tracing will be done after his swab sample is tested, police said.
Many of those who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat event last month in the national capital later tested positive for coronavirus and several of them died.
Of the state's 61 coronavirus cases, at least six positive cases had links to the Nizamuddin event.
42 people from the state who had attended the Nizamuddin event voluntarily came forward for coronavirus tests following an appeal by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, but the person detained on Saturday was not one of them, an official said.
Jajpur SP Charan Singh Meena conducted a flag march in the village as tension prevailed there after the incident.
Earlier, one Nizamuddin returnee from Jajpur district had tested positive for coronavirus infection. He, however, has recovered.
Meanwhile, police arrested 67 people on charges of violating the lockdown guidelines and other norms in the last 24 hours in the state.
64 School Students Test Covid-Positive In Odisha's Raygada Odisha Records Lowest Daily Covid Cases In 2022 34 Odisha College Students Test Covid Positive, 5 Hostels Made Containment Zones Election Results 2024 LIVE Updates: Maharashtra Battle To Decide Real NCP, Sena Election Results 2024 LIVE: NDA Closer To Victory In Maharashtra At 220 Seats Jharkhand Election Results LIVE Updates: INDIA Bloc Makes Stunning Comeback "Something Amiss, Can't Be People's Verdict": Sanjay Raut On Results Fahad Ahmad, Swara Bhasker's Husband, Leads In Anushakti Nagar CLAT 2025 Exam Centre Changed For Hisar Candidates, Check Details Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.