Keonjhar: Nine Enforcement officers were injured after they were allegedly beat up by local sand mafia at Anandpur in Odisha’s Keonjhar district on Sunday night. All the officials were rescued and one of them was admitted to hospital in a serious condition.
According to reports, hundreds of tons of sand are excavated illegally from Baitarani, Kushei and Remal rivers and transported by sand mafia every day in Anandpur sub-district. While the mafia was transporting sand illegally on Sunday night, Enforcement officials raided the area. Not to budge from the place, sand mafias surrounded the Enforcement officials and attacked them with sticks and sharp weapons near Sudusudia Chhak.
They beat up the mine officials and other employees on the road and vandalised their vehicles. Later, an ambulance came through the same road and the mafia attacked it too mistaking it to be a police vehicle.
On being informed, the Ghasipura police later went to the spot and rescued the injured Enforcement officials and other employees.