Ranpur: Mining mafia allegedly attacked Ranpur tehsil officials during raids on illegal laterite stone quarries at Bokakhai in Odisha’s Nayagarh district late on Wednesday.
According to sources, the incident took place when three teams led by tehsildar Robin Churchill Mishra were carrying out raids on several illegal laterite stone quarries in Ranpur.
At Bokakhai, a four-member team, including Jhadapada Revenue Inspector (RI) Ramakanta Behera, Raipada RI Rakesh Ranjan Sethy, Chandpur RI Saroj Kumar Sahoo and Rajsunakhala RI Sukanta Majhi, seized 3 cutter machines. Soon, 20 to 25 persons pounced on them with sharp weapons. They, however, managed to escape from their clutches and took shelter at a nearby school.
On being informed, tehsildar with the help of Chandpur police rescued the revenue officials and got them admitted to a hospital for treatment. Sources further said that RI Behera sustained severe injuries in the incident and had to be shifted to a health facility in Bhubaneswar as his health condition deteriorated.
The tehsildar has lodged an FIR with police in this regard.
