Tehsildar injured as tractor rams into him during illegal mining raid in Odisha

A tehsildar-cum-executive magistrate was seriously injured after miscreants allegedly attempted to run him over with a tractor during a raid on illegal soil mining in Odisha’s Jajpur district on Saturday, triggering concerns over the safety of officials engaged in enforcement drives.

The injured officer, Vyasanagar tehsildar Prashant Kumar Panda , was leading a team to act on a tip-off regarding unauthorised soil extraction near Minabazar Chhak under Korei police limits when the incident occurred. According to police, a group involved in the illegal activity allegedly rammed a tractor into Panda in an apparent bid to thwart the raid.

Panda sustained serious injuries and was immediately rushed to the Korei Community Health Centre (CHC). He was later shifted to a hospital in Cuttack for advanced treatment. Officials have since confirmed that his condition is stable .

Police teams quickly reached the spot and launched an investigation. During the operation, authorities seized two tractors and a JCB machine believed to have been used for illegal soil extraction. However, no arrests have been made so far , and efforts are underway to identify and apprehend those involved.

Preliminary investigations suggest that a group was illegally extracting soil from a pond in Minabazar village , and the attack was a deliberate attempt to obstruct enforcement action .

Jajpur Collector Ambar Kumar Kar condemned the incident and said that special teams have been constituted to intensify checks on illegal mining of minor minerals across the district.

The incident highlights the growing risks faced by field officials tackling illegal mining operations, which continue to pose environmental and administrative challenges in several parts of the state.