Man held for attacking whistleblower over FB posts on illegal sand mining
Bhubaneswar: Pahala police here on Thursday arrested a man who allegedly assaulted a whistleblower after the latter exposed unlawful sand quarrying activities by posting photographs on Facebook.
Police identified the accused as Ranjan Prusty (28), a resident of Phulanakhara in Cuttack district.
Nihar Ranjan Parida (30), the victim, recently posted photographic evidence of unauthorised sand mining activities in Gobindapur village under Pahala police limits on Facebook. The posts quickly gained traction among local environment activists, community members and mines authorities, much to the chagrin of Prusty whose relative operates the sand mining activities.
On April 29, Prusty invited the victim for a discussion. Subsequently, Prusty and his accomplices allegedly abducted him in a vehicle and attacked him near the sand mining location. Parida filed a police complaint the following day.
A senior police officer stated, "We take attacks on whistleblowers very seriously. Such intimidation tactics have no place in our community, and we will ensure justice is served. While we have arrested Prusty, others involved in the crime will be arrested soon."
Environmental activists condemned the attack. "This incident highlights the risks faced by those brave enough to speak up against environmental crimes," said Tapas Mahakud, an environmentalist.
During questioning, Prusty informed police that the victim demanded money for extortion after posting the photos on social media. He claimed that Parida had asked for Rs 5,000 monthly to remain silent about the illegal operations.
Police said they are investigating both the assault case and the illegal sand mining activities. "We have informed the department of steel and mines to curb the illegal sand mining activities," the police officer said.
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