Keonjhar: A junior mining officer and his driver sustained grievous injuries after being allegedly attacked by sand mafia during a late-night inspection near Anandapur in Odisha’s Keonjhar district on Sunday.
As per sources, the attack took reportedly place near a bridge on the Baitarani river in Anandapur sub-division around 11 pm when routine vehicle inspection by a team was in progress.
During the operation, the junior mining officer, identified as Suraj Hembram, had stopped a vehicle allegedly belonging to the sand mafia to conduct a routine check, However, the situation turned violent when the occupants of the vehicle moved out and attacked the officer and other team members.
The attackers vandalised the officer’s vehicle and mounted an attack. The officer and his driver, who sustained grievous injuries, were rescued by Ghasipura police and taken to Anandapur sub-divisional hospital. The attackers fled the scene after the incident.
“Miscreants in four to five vehicles intercepted us. They vandalised my vehicle, threatened us and physically attacked me and my driver,” Hembram told the media.
A case has been registered in this connection at the Ghasipura police station and investigation into the incident is underway. Efforts are on to trace and apprehend the attackers.
It may be noted that mining department personnel are frequently being threatened and attacked by miscreants in various parts of the state, especially in mineral-rich Keonjhar.
Locals said hundreds of truckloads of sand are reportedly being transported illegally from various sand quarries along the Baitarani, Kushei, and Remal rivers in the region, requiring the need for heightened vigil.
