Balasore, Mar 21: Tension prevailed at Nilgiri police station as family members of two persons, who along with four others were arrested on charges of possessing country-made guns illegally, alleged that their kinsmen were innocent daily labourers and had not possessed any ammunition.  

Earlier, the forest department had stated that six persons were arrested with country-made guns during a combing operation jointly conducted by Kuldiha forest officials, Similipal Tiger Protection Force, and Nilagiri police in the Deunrakhola area in Balasore district this morning. 

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However, the family members of the two, Shukura Singh and Guruba Singh, alleged that they were arrested even though they were very innocent. The forest department officials arrested them only because they came out of their houses after hearing an alert call that elephants entered the village. 

The family members and their relatives have gheraoed the police station seeking release of Shukura and Guruba without any delay.