Land officials thrashed during raids on trucks carrying sand

Two land department officials were seriously injured after being thrashed with sticks and rods by truck drivers in West Bengal's West Midnapore district, police said on Thursday.

A team led by sub-divisional land reform officer Prabir Kumar Roy on Wednesday night raided trucks carrying sand, alleged to have been mined illegally, near Shahachak village on Nation Highway 6 in Kharagpur Rural police station area.

As they stopped some six-seven trucks, the drivers and helpers came down the vehicles with sticks and rods and thrashed Roy and another official, identified as SK Yasin, police said.

The trucks were coming from Khalsuli area and going towards Kolkata and Haldia.

Roy and Yasin have been admitted to the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital, police said.

A person has been arrested and another detained in connection with the incident, an officer said, adding that raids are on to nab the others.

"The officials should have informed the police before the raid. Had they done so, this incident wouldn't have happened," he said.