Tehsildar brutally attacked by sand mafias in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj

Tension flared in Baripada town after the newly appointed Betanoti tehsildar was allegedly attacked by sand mafias on Tuesday. The incident took place soon after the official seized a vehicle illegally transporting sand in the locality in Mayurbhanj district.

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According to sources, the sand mafias intercepted the tehsildar and launched an attack in retaliation. The officer’s driver suffered head injuries after being struck by the assailant, who fled the scene following the assault.

The tehsildar had seized a sand-laden truck at around 4.00 PM today. Irked with this, the sand mafias decided to take revenge, leading to the assault.

In the evening, at around 6.00 PM, the sand mafias intercepted the tehsildar near a petrol pump at Betanoti on the national highway. About eight to ten miscreants attacked the on-duty official.

Initially, the sand mafias had gone to the tehsildar’s office to ask him about the seized truck. Following an argument with them, the revenue official left his office to avoid the situation. However, he was chased, intercepted, and attacked on the way.

Shaken by the incident, the local tehsildar has lodged a written complaint at Betanoti police station, seeking immediate action against those involved. The attack has sparked strong concern among local administrative officials, who say such repeated assaults on revenue staff reflect the growing audacity of illegal sand operators in the region.

Police have begun an inquiry and are working to identify the culprits involved in the assault. However, no comments were received from Betanoti police or the victim tehsildar Indrajit Behera in this regard.

Allegedly, illegal sand quarrying activities are rampant in Betanoti, and the mafias have been earning handsomely, causing a substantial loss of revenue to the State exchequer.