Jajpur: In a bizarre incident, a sand mafia allegedly tried to kill the tehsildar of Dasarathpur by crushing him down under a tractor near Pallisahi sand ghat of Kasapa panchayat in Jajpur, a police official said Thursday.
The tehsildar has been identified as Biswajit Sethi.
According to the senior police official, Sethi got information from a reliable source regarding the illegal sand quarrying activities. Swinging into action he raided the spot along with a few of his staff.
However, after Sethi and others reached the spot, a number of sand mafias tried to flee. Later, when Sethi asked one of them to stop quarrying immediately and go to nearby police station along with him, the sand mafia attempted to run the vehicle over him.
Also read: Manas Swain murder: Crime Branch finds more evidence from Jajpur
Fortunately, Sethi had a close shave by jumping into a nearby pit.
Meanwhile, the tractor driver managed to escape from the spot and has been absconding since then, the senior police official said.
Acting on an FIR lodged by Sethi, police have launched a probe.
PNN