Nayagarh: A special team of the Excise department was attacked by a mob during a raid in Bodapada village under Nayagarh Sadar police station Thursday, leaving three constables injured. The attackers also freed an arrested suspect along with the seized liquor, officials said. An Excise team had gone to Bodapada village to conduct a raid following a tipoff about illegal country liquor sales.
During the operation, constables Kaibalya Swain, Debi Prasad Pani and Nila Lohit Mallik sustained injuries in a mob attack. Family members of the accused allegedly overpowered the team and escaped with the seized liquor and the arrested man. The injured constables were treated at the Nayagarh district headquarters hospital and later discharged.
Police have detained one person in connection with the incident and are questioning him, officials said. Nayagarh Excise department IIC Suresh Chandra Tandi said the raid was conducted after receiving information that a man identified as Jagabandhu Sandha was selling country liquor in the village. He said the team seized 10 litres of country liquor and arrested Jagabandhu, but was attacked while escorting him to the vehicle. Tandi said Jagabandhu’s brother, Gopi Sandha, initially objected to the arrest, after which their nephew, Bapuni Sandha, and four to five others joined and assaulted the team. He added that police assistance was not taken as the site was near a roadside junction about 2-3 km from Nayagarh town.
The raiding team included three constables, one woman constable, the IIC and the driver, Tandi said. Nayagarh Sadar police station IIC Sarat Chandra Sethi said a case (13/26) has been registered against five persons, based on the Excise department’s complaint. One suspect has been detained, and raids are underway to arrest the others.
Meanwhile, some villagers, speaking on condition of anonymity, alleged that Jagabandhu was returning after bathing in a pond in the morning when Excise personnel stopped and questioned him on suspicion of selling liquor. They claimed that when his brother asked why Jagabandhu was being detained and beaten, he was also assaulted. As news of the incident spread, tension gripped the village. Villagers questioned why the Excise department was harassing innocent residents without valid reasons; allegations that authorities have denied.
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