Violent Assault on Coal Project in Jharkhand; Worker Injured and Vehicles Destroyed
Click to start listening
Synopsis
A violent attack by armed criminals at Central Coalfields Limited's New Birsa project in Jharkhand resulted in a worker being injured and significant damage to machinery. The incident has halted operations and raised concerns over safety at the site. Authorities are investigating potential links to extortion attempts.
Key Takeaways
- Violence erupted at CCL's New Birsa project.
- A worker suffered a bullet injury during the attack.
- Heavy machinery was vandalized and set on fire.
- Authorities suspect an extortion motive.
- Police have detained ten suspects for questioning.
Hazaribagh, March 20 (NationPress) Armed criminals perpetrated violence at Central Coalfields Limited’s (CCL) New Birsa project located in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh district, resulting in injuries to a worker and significant destruction of heavy machinery. The incident transpired during the night between Wednesday and Thursday, instigating fear among workers and halting operations.
As reported by the police, an unidentified group of criminals invaded the New Birsa project site and fired multiple shots to threaten the workers. During this attack, a CCL worker suffered a bullet wound to his leg and was promptly taken to the hospital for medical attention. In addition, the criminals set a payloader machine ablaze and vandalized several vehicles.
Authorities suspect that this assault may be associated with an extortion attempt. Workers at the site claimed the assailants discharged five to six rounds before directing their violence towards the heavy machinery. Consequently, operations at CCL’s Urimari and New Birsa projects have been entirely disrupted.
In response to the incident, local law enforcement has initiated a large-scale search operation in the surrounding area. Currently, ten suspects have been detained for questioning. Senior police officials are closely overseeing the investigation and have increased patrolling in and around the affected project sites.
In a related occurrence, a construction site along the Chotnar river in Giridih district’s Gawan block was also attacked by a group of around 14-15 armed criminals. The assailants allegedly targeted the site after the contractor declined to pay a demanded extortion amount of Rs 5 lakh.
During this assault, the criminals brutally attacked the site’s clerk and several workers, resulting in injuries to four individuals — Congress Yadav, Bablu Baski, Samel Murmu, and Dharmendra Kumar. All four have been admitted to a nearby hospital for treatment.
An FIR has been filed regarding the attack, and police are actively pursuing leads to identify the assailants. Law enforcement agencies are investigating whether the two incidents are interconnected and if the same criminal syndicate is involved.
