ROURKELA: A day after unidentified miscreants resorted to blank firing in front of the residence of a transport businessman in Mission Road area, truck unions of Sundargarh town on Monday demanded strict action against those involved in the incident.
Members of four different unions under the banner of United Truck Owners’ Association submitted a memorandum to Sundargarh ADM SK Patnaik and SP Amrit Pal Kaur seeking immediate arrest of the culprits involved in the firing incident.
Just after Sunday midnight, unknown miscreants opened blank fire in front of the house of Sanjay Nanda at Sundargarh town. A transport businessman, Nanda is also the president of Jai Jagannath Truck Owners’ Association. While none was injured in the incident, it is suspected that business rivalry could be the reason behind the blank firing, apparently aimed to terrorise the businessman.
Sundargarh SDPO Nirmal Mohapatra said three miscreants reached Nanda’s residence in a car between 12 am and 12.30 am. They hurled abuses at Nanda’s private security guard and expressed anger over trucks being blacklisted by the Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) from transporting coal from its mines in Hemgir block.
Mohapatra said the miscreants held Nanda responsible for the blacklisting of the trucks and asked the security guard to tell the businessman to ensure lifting of the ban on the vehicles. They fled before police arrived at the scene. The SDPO said when police were conducting raids at different places, one of the miscreants returned on a motorcycle, opened a blank fire near Nanda’s house and escaped.
A used empty shell has been recovered from the spot. Police have got clues about the miscreants. A case was registered in connection with the incident. Three teams have been formed to nab the miscreants and further investigation is underway, the SDPO added.
On April 6, separate groups of truck drivers had clashed in front of the MCL’s Garjanbahal mine in Hemgir after some of them jumped the queues and tried to gain priority access for loading of coal. At least 14 truck drivers found involved in the clash were arrested. Over 40 trucks were blacklisted by the MCL for the incident, said Mohapatra.
Similarly on May 11, 96 more trucks were reportedly blacklisted by the MCL for forcibly entering Garjanbahal and Kulda coal mines to get priority loading. Some of the owners of the blacklisted trucks believe Nanda influenced the MCL to ban their trucks, police sources said.