Koraput: In a shocking incident, a Junior Mining Officer was allegedly assaulted and nearly run over by a tractor while trying to prevent illegal sand mining from the Kolab river bed in Koraput district.
Pradeepta Kumar Munda, aged about 35 years and working as Junior Mining Officer under the Deputy Director of Mines, Jeypore Circle, lodged a complaint at Sadar Police Station, Jeypore on April 10.
According to his complaint, he had gone to Trishakti Stone Crusher near village Sanojei for official duty. While returning towards Jeypore around 10:10 AM near Balia Bridge, he spotted a blue-coloured Swaraj tractor (Registration No. OD 10 AB 3589) illegally loading sand from the river. When the officer approached the tractor for verification and asked the four persons loading sand to stop the illegal activity, the driver called the owner. The owner reached the spot within 20 minutes. When the officer insisted on stopping the tractor and asked for the driver’s identity, the accused allegedly tried to flee with the vehicle. As the officer attempted to stop the tractor, the driver deliberately tried to run him over with the intention to kill him. Later, the accused persons, along with the owner and a group of five others, snatched the keys of the officer’s motorcycle (Royal Enfield, Regd. No. OD 10 AD 1906), physically assaulted him, caught him by the neck, tried to choke him, pushed him to the roadside, and threatened to kill him. This obstructed him from performing his official duty. As a result, he had sustained injuries.
The complainant stated that he can identify the accused persons if shown to him again. Two local persons — Debasish Dash and Tirupati Panigrahi — who were grazing goats nearby, witnessed the incident.
The officer has requested the police to register an FIR against the accused for serious offences including attempt to murder, assault, criminal intimidation, and obstruction of a public servant on duty.
On the basis of the complaint, Sadar Police registered a case and initiated investigation.
