KENDRAPARA: Tension flared up near Baspur village on Monday after a 45-year-old man was crushed to death by a sand-laden truck on Luna river bed, prompting the locals to torch a house owned by the sand mafia. The deceased was identified as Laxman Mallick of Aripal village. Mallick worked as a helper in a sand quarry on the river bed.
Kendrapara Sadar IIC Saroj Sahoo said following the incident, a mob from the nearby villages gathered at the spot where the mishap took place. They started pelting stones before setting a house, which was allegedly being run by the local sand mafia as an office, on fire. The mob also prevented fire personnel from dousing the blaze.
Locals alleged that such mishaps take place regularly in the area due to reckless driving of the sand-laden trucks. Nityananda Behera of Baspur said hundreds of sand-laden trucks ply in the area on a daily basis. These vehicles not only pose threat to motorists but also damage the village roads.
“Illegal sand mining is rampant on Luna river bed. As the administration has turned a blind eye to the illegal mining, we are forced to step in. In the process, villagers often become targets of the sand mafia,” he alleged.
Another villager Swadin Rout said the law and order situation has deteriorated in many riverside villages as various groups of sand mafia often clash with each other. “The unauthorised sand mining has turned out to be a lucrative industry for some influential persons of the area. Contractors have engaged machines to lift sand from the river bed. So far, the officials concerned have failed to check the illegal practice,” claimed Rout.
IIC Sahoo said a case under section 304 A of the IPC was registered against the truck driver. Another case under section 436 of IPC was registered against the locals involved in setting the house on fire. Laxman’s body was sent for postmortem to the hospital.