Chaibasa (Jharkhand), Nov 7
A youth, identified as Deepak Pradhan, was allegedly crushed to death by a tractor for opposing illegal sand smuggling in Mundai village under Jaintgarh OP limits in West Singhbhum district on Friday, officials said.
The incident triggered massive outrage among locals, who took to the streets and staged a protest after placing the body on the road for several hours.
However, villagers dismissed the police’s “accident” theory and insisted that Deepak was murdered by members of the sand mafia.
They alleged that over a dozen tractors transport illegally mined sand every night from riverbanks in the region, and despite repeated complaints, authorities have not taken action.