Bhubaneswar, April 22 -- Evicted residents of Shyampur slum in Bhubaneswar staged a protest on Wednesday, alleging that they were duped by middlemen who illegally sold Bhoodan land to them, leaving several families displaced and without shelter.

The aggrieved residents, mostly women, demanded strict action against the brokers and sought registration of a case for the alleged fraud. They accused the middlemen of misleading them into purchasing land that was not legally transferable.

According to the residents, they had invested their savings in the plots, believing the transactions to be legitimate. However, the land was later identified as Bhoodan land, making the sale illegal and leading to their eviction.

In a bid to seek justice, th...