Sand mafia attacks journalists in Numaligarh, forest officials accused of silence

A CORRESPONDENT

BOKAKHAT: In Numaligarh, illegal sand trading has flourished under the shadow of the forest department. The Dhansiri river of Numaligarh, once a golden resource, has now turned into a hub of illegal activities controlled by the Numaligarh forest office and a section of the sand mafia.

On Monday around 2 PM, following complaints from locals about illegal sand depots in No. 2 Parghat village, Pratidin Time journalist Bibhash Saikia and his colleague Asiful Ali visited the area. At that time, a team of forest officials led by Range Officer Batsha Ali was also present at the illegal sand depot.

Suddenly, in full view of the forest department team, a group of sand mafia members attacked the two journalists. The forest staff remained silent spectators. The attackers even tried to destroy the journalists’ boom mic and inflicted minor injuries. Somehow, the journalists managed to escape with their lives.

The two journalists later filed a case at Kamargaon police station. The police have already identified three of the attackers, and the investigation is ongoing. Reports also claimed that four illegal sand depots had been established in Parghat under the patronage of the forest department.

The attack on the journalists has drawn sharp condemnation from Kamargaon Regional Journalists’ Association, Press Club, Numaligarh Journalists’ Forum, Bokakhat Subdivision Journalists’ Association, and other organizations. They have demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits.

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