Truck Set Ablaze in Magadh-Amrapali Coal Project Area, Chatra: Police Investigate Extremist Links

Chatra: Six unidentified men set ablaze a truck belonging to NCC company, an outsourcing firm in the Amrapali coal project area of the Magadh–Amrapali coalfield in Chatra district near Kumrang Khurd Chaupal, on Saturday around 11:30 pm.According to information, masked assailants arrived in plain clothes, intercepted the truck parked in the project area, and held the driver at gunpoint, forcing him to get down from it. The assailants then poured petrol and set the vehicle on fire. Within minutes, the vehicle got engulfed in flames.While police did not relate this attack to any extremist organisation, local workers claimed that the attack was allegedly planned in advance. The banned extremist organisation TSPC (Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee) issued a statement through its spokesperson, Karmveer, levelling serious allegations against coal companies. In the statement, coal mining was described as “destruction in the name of development”. The statement warned that if talks with the organisation, referring to extortion, were not held, blood would spill onto the streets. Several company officials were specifically named and warned. Jharkhand Janmukti Parishad also released a list of managers and employees of companies, threatening them with serious consequences. According to an officer of the coal company, they told the police about the TSPC threat a week ago, but the incident took place on Saturday night.Talking to TOI, Tandwa SDPO Prabhat Ranjan Barwar said a team of six set the truck on fire, and another six were present at a distance. He refused to confirm that the attackers were related to any extremist organisations. “Police have started probe to ascertain who was behind this attack. Raids are underway to nab the culprits. We received a handwritten pamphlet from the spot but probe is on from all possible angles,” he said.