Nayagarh: Unidentified miscreants hurled a stone at the official vehicle of the Block Development Officer (BDO) of Daspalla in Odisha’s Nayagarh district on Friday.
Sources said the incident took place near Nachhipur village when BDO Sarat Kumar Mallik was travelling in the vehicle. Two unidentified miscreants allegedly hurled a stone at the moving vehicle.
While the BDO escaped unhurt, the driver sustained injuries and the vehicle’s window glass was damaged.
The BDO was
returning from Srirampur after distributing relief materials to a family affected by a fire mishap when the incident took place. The two accused, who were reportedly travelling on a motorcycle, fled the spot immediately after the attack.
The BDO said the attack was so sudden that he initially thought the vehicle had suffered a tyre burst. The stone crashed through the glass and entered the vehicle, narrowly missing its occupants.
The attack damaged the official vehicle and left the driver injured. However, no other occupant was hurt in the incident.
Alleging that he had received threats from certain individuals recently, Mallik said the stone attack may be linked to those threats. Stating that the attack was unexpected, the BDO said he has been carrying out his official responsibilities honestly and assisting people in need.
On being informed, police have launched an investigation into the incident and are trying to identify the two motorcycle-borne miscreants who fled after carrying out the attack. Officials are also examining the allegations made by the BDO regarding the threats he claims to have received.