Balrampur, February 16 A Sub-Divisional Magistrate and three other individuals have been arrested in connection with the death of a 60-year-old man after he was beaten up with sticks during a raid against illegal mining in Chhattisgarh's Balrampur district, police said on Monday.
The accused persons are identified as Kusmi Sub-Divisional Magistrate Karun Dahariya, a State Administrative Service Officer, and private individuals- Vicky Singh alias Ajay Pratap Singh, Manjeet Kumar Yadav, and Sudip Yadav.
Acting on information, Dahariya, Singh, Manjeet, and Sudip had left for Hanspur village in the SDM's official vehicle late Sunday night, said Balrampur District Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Banker.
"When they reached near the village, they accused villagers of illegally mining and transporting bauxite and began beating them with sticks, leaving Ram alias Ramnaresh, Ajit Ram (60), and Akash Agariya (20) injured," he said.
While Ramnaresh was declared dead by doctors at a hospital in Kusmi, the two others are undergoing treatment.
The four accused were arrested after the investigation and booked for murder, the police officer added.
"During the interrogation, the accused claimed they had gone to stop illegal bauxite mining in the area. However, the reason why the SDM took private individuals with him is being investigated," said Banker.
The incident triggered a protest by Sarva Adivasi Samaj, villagers, and Congress activists, who tried to block a road and demanded compensation for the deceased's family along with strict action against the accused.
Protesters alleged that the SDM and others attacked villagers when they were returning from irrigating their fields.
The police officer said the situation is under control and additional forces have been deployed in the area.
Chhattisgarh former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel termed the incident as administrative terrorism and accused the state government of corruption.
"An 'administrative terrorism' prevalent under the BJP's good governance has once again targeted an innocent villager in Chhattisgarh. It is alleged that the SDM and Naib Tehsildar of Kusmi, along with five or six others, brutally beat up farmers returning from irrigating their fields in Balrampur.
"The SDM and his associates beat them so severely that one farmer died from the beating, and two others are hospitalised. The entire incident is related to illegal bauxite mining," Baghel said in an X post.
He stated that villagers had recently intercepted a truck engaged in illegal bauxite mining. "The entire BJP government and its officials are neck-deep in corruption and are busy nurturing the corrupt," he alleged.
Rajnandgaon BJP MP and the party's chief spokesperson, Santosh Pandey, said the state government is investigating the matter with utmost sensitivity.
He accused the Congress of playing cheap politics in every matter.
"People have not forgotten the anarchy when Bhupesh Baghel was in power. Incidents like those in Surajpur, Kondagaon, and Gariaband have involved individuals associated with the Congress party. The Congress party should introspect before pointing fingers at others," he told reporters.