Excise officials injured in attack by villagers during raid

Five excise personnel were injured in an attack by villagers at Masanibadi in Odisha's Ganjam district when they went there to conduct a raid on manufacturers of illicit country liquor, police said.
The officials were also confined by the villagers yesterday, before police rescued them and admitted the five in the community health centre at Patrapur.
The excise team had not informed police that they would be conducting a raid on the tribal-dominated village.
"We will inquire into the matter and take action against the culprits," said Inspector In-Charge of Jrada police station, Bhabani Shankar Khuntia.
No one in connection with the case has been arrested so far.

Excise Superintendent (Berhampur) Rajendera Bhotra said 25 personnel had gone to the village in three vehicles on a tip-off, but before they could start the raid, the villagers attacked the team.

The five officials sustained minor injuries, he said.
Excise personnel have launched raids on units engaged in the manufacture, transport and storage of spurious liquor after two persons died consuming illicit country liquor in Karadamal village on December 28.
Over the past three days, excise and police personnel seized around 275 litres of spurious liquor. Eight people have also been arrested, an official said.