Balasore: Eight persons have been arrested for allegedly assaulting a revenue officer in Mayurbhanj district during an anti- minor mineral mining raid, police confirmed Monday. The incident occurred on June 2, when Bhima Kanta Majhi, the Additional Tehsildar of Kaptipada, was attacked while on duty.
Majhi, who was heading in his official vehicle to inspect illegal lifting and transportation of minor minerals, was physically assaulted by a group of miscreants, who also vandalized his car. The attack is being linked to local sand mafias, officials said.
Speaking to reporters, DIG (Eastern Range) Satyajit Naik said that a case has been registered at the Kaptipada police station, naming 12 accused based on Majhi’s complaint. “So far, eight people have been arrested, and efforts are on to nab the remaining accused,” Naik added.
The attack has also taken a serious caste-based turn, as Majhi—who belongs to a Scheduled Caste community—was allegedly subjected to public humiliation with casteist slurs, Naik revealed.
The case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The investigation is being led by the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Udala, with police teams deployed in multiple districts and outside Odisha to trace the remaining accused.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari confirmed that two of the accused were arrested from Jamshedpur, while the rest were apprehended from different locations in Mayurbhanj district.
Issuing a stern warning, the Minister said, “No one involved in this conspiracy—whether on the ground or behind the scenes—will be spared. The government is committed to taking strict action against sand mafias and protecting officials performing their duties.”
