JAJPUR: More than a month and half after a woman police officer was assaulted and seized vehicles forcibly taken away from her by stone mining mafia at Bichhakhandi hills, the police have finally managed to nab the main culprit.
The mafia member, Braja Pradhan alias Titua of Nityanandapur village under Nihalprasad police limits of Dhenkanal district, was arrested from Chadeidhara village in the same Dharmasala tehsil as Bichhakhandi hills where the incident took place.
On August 10, Additional Tehasildar of Dharmasala Debiprasad Mohanty along with police had conducted a surprise raid on Bichhakhandi black granite hills and seized a tractor and a compressor used in the illegal mining. He then handed over the seized vehicles to a woman police officer. In the mean time, Titua came to the spot along with his aides, assaulted the police officer and took away the seized vehicles.
Balarampur Revenue Inspector-2 Susanta Kumar Swain had lodged an FIR at the police station in this connection. Based on the complaint, Jenapur police had registered a case against Pradhan. The accused had been absconding since. Acting on a tip-off, Jenapur police on Tuesday night conducted a raid and arrested him. He was forwarded to local court on Wednesday and later remanded in judicial custody after his bail plea was rejected, said Jenapur IIC Susanta Kumar Das.