Balasore: Sahadevkhunta Model Police here Saturday arrested 11 persons including three women in connection with the brutal assault on Balasore Sub-Collector and his driver during a raid on illegal sand mining and smuggling in Mandarpur and Dahapada areas under Remuna block in this district, the previous day.
Sub-Collector Kunal Sitaram Chouhan sustained minor injuries in the attack while the driver of his official vehicle Gagan Bihari Sahu was critically hurt and has been admitted to the district headquarters hospital for treatment. Sahadevkhunta Model Police registered a case over a complaint filed by Sahu and arrested 11 persons including three women for the attack. This was stated by SP Sagarika Nath at a press meeting held here, Saturday.
Earlier, the Sub-Collector had raided the place Wednesday and seized two dumpers, one tractor and one earth mover as well as 500 trips of sand. He had also raided the house of brick kiln owners and tried to arrest them. The miscreants hit back when he again raided the place, Friday.
Police found that the attack was carried out by the owner of a brick kiln Manoranjan Behera, Chittaranjan Behera and their sons and sons-in-law. The accused were identified as Rajesh Das, 41, Bibek Kumar Pradhan, 18, Ramesh Pradhan, 40, Himanshu Sekhar Das, 26, Mithun Das, 28, Rabinarayan Das, 54, Dipu Das, 25, Sagar Dehuri, 20, Gitani Pradhan, 34, Basanti Biswal, 45, and Jayanti Pradhan, 55.
Police have arrested only 11 while 30 persons were involved in the attack. Police also failed to arrest the mastermind, who is now absconding. All the accused were produced in the court and remanded to judicial custody after their bail pleas were rejected.
The incident occurred when the Sub-Collector was returning from Rupsa when he was tipped off about a tractor illegally lifting soil from government land near the Budhabalanga river bridge. He seized a tractor and was trying to bring it to the police station when over 20-30 villagers from Kantabania village rushed to the spot and snatched away the tractor. Later, they obstructed and pelted stones at him and the officials accompanying him. The stone pelting damaged the vehicle and both of them sustained injuries.
On being informed, police reached the spot and rescued both of them and admitted them to the district headquarters hospital.
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