Balasore: A junior mining officer was allegedly dragged out of his vehicle and brutally attacked by suspected sand mafia in Odisha’s Balasore district on Tuesday.
According to sources, the incident took place when Tapas Kumar Behera, a junior mining officer, in the Kathasagada area of Remuna went to Kathasagada for an inspection following a tip off about illegal sand mining in the Budhabalanga riverbed. The mafia intercepted his vehicle, pulled him out, and brutally attacked him, causing a severe head injury.
He was rushed to the district headquarters hospital here for treatment.
This comes a week after Additional Tahsildar of Kaptipada in Mayurbhanj, Bhima Kanta Majhi, was chased by more than 20 men on motorcycles, believed to be linked to the sand mafia, and thrashed with his vehicle stoned. In a frantic bid to escape, Majhi sped toward the Kaptipada police station. The pursuing mob chased him to the station’s locked gate, where they caught him, dragged him from his vehicle, and attacked him. They also pelted his car with bricks and stones, smashing the front and rear windshields before fleeing. .
Police have so far arrested nine persons in connection with the June 2 incident.
Following the arrests, Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari had warned of strict action against the perpetrators. “I want to warn all sand mafias that no one will be spared including those who made the conspiracy from behind the scene,” he had earlier told reporters.
