Junior Mining Officer Assaulted During Sand Mining Inspection in Odisha’s Balasore

A junior mining officer was allegedly assaulted by a group of miscreants while inspecting an illegal sand mining site in Odisha’s Balasore district on Tuesday, police said.

The incident took place at Kathasingda village under the jurisdiction of Remuna police station, where the officer, Tapas Kumar Behera, was conducting an inspection of sand mining activities on the Budhabalanga riverbed.

According to officials, Behera was accompanied by another person and was taking photographs of the site when a group of unidentified miscreants confronted and physically attacked him.

“The officer sustained injuries in the assault. A police team rushed to the spot after receiving information and an investigation has been launched to identify and apprehend those involved,” a senior police officer said.

The incident has raised concerns over the safety of government officials engaged in monitoring illegal mining operations, which are reportedly on the rise in parts of Balasore district.

Authorities have assured strict action against the attackers and said additional security measures would be considered for officials during field inspections.