Soro (Balasore): In a daring incident, members of a sand mafia gang allegedly snatched a seized tractor from police custody at Pratappur Chhaka under Nilagiri police station limits on Thursday.
According to reports, the officials of Mines Department in Nilagiri and police had conducted a joint raid on the banks of the Sona river, where illegal sand lifting was taking place near three villages. During the operation, one tractor engaged in the trade was seized and was being escorted to the Ayodhya police outpost.
However, before it could be taken away, 10–15 youths arrived at Pratappur Chhaka on motorcycles. Armed with weapons, they allegedly threatened the accompanying constables and forcibly drove the tractor away.
“We had seized a tractor. While the police were bringing it, Rajkumar Pradhan of Narsinghpur area along with others snatched it away,” said Jitendra Das, Mining Officer, confirming the incident.
Following a written complaint, Nilagiri police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the matter.
