ROURKELA: Five persons were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly attacking a joint enforcement team of the Excise department and police during a raid against illegal liquor distillation in Dharuadihi area of Sundargarh district.
The accused are Binod Kishan (38), Behudhar Kishan (29), Bharat Kishan (35), Babuli Kishan (43) and Haladhar Kishan (34), all from Dharuadihi.
Sundargarh SDPO Nirmal Mohapatra said on Monday morning, an Excise team accompanied by police personnel raided an illegal distillery in a forest near Alangpani village. The team destroyed around 1,200 kg of fermented mahua flowers and 400 litres of country-made liquor, he said.
While the enforcement team was returning, a group of villagers reportedly confronted them and attacked them with handmade catapults and sticks. A vehicle was damaged while a sub-inspector of Sundargarh excise station sustained head injury in the attack.
Mohapatra said teams from Dharuadihi and Bhasma police stations were immediately mobilised following the incident. Subsequently, the five accused persons were arrested.