The open cast coal mine in Barabani near Asansol turned into a virtual battlefield here today after miscreants belonging to the coal mafia attacked the Quick Response Team (QRT) of CISF with stones and bricks and also smashed the window panes of police vehicles.
A number of CISF jawans and officers of Barabani Police have been injured during the clash with illegal coal miners.
Acting on a specific tip-off, a Quick Response Team (QRT) of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) jawans rushed to an open cast coal mine in Barabani police station area near Asansol.
As soon as the CISF team reached the spot, locals started chasing them and hurled stones and bricks. The local Barabani Police was also informed about the sudden attack on the central para-military force jawans.
When the Barabani Police also arrived at the spot the miscreants of the coal mafias also smashed the windowpanes of the police vehicle and hurled bricks and stones upon them.
Later a huge police force of Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate (ADPC) reached the site and dispersed the mob and rescued the cops.
Few people have been nabbed from the site, police said.
Assistant Commandant of CISF, Salanpur said that they have rushed to Begunia Coal mines after getting information about illegal coal mining and have seized illegal coal from the spot, but suddenly the coal mafia attacked them. He claimed that three CISF jawans sustained injuries.
In the past few months the illegal coal mining activities have increased in the ECL leasehold areas in Salanpur, Barabani, Raniganj, Pandaveswar, Kulti etc.
Some illegal coal miners have also been killed in accidents in recent times. Asansol South MLA Agnimitra Paul staged a dharna a month ago when few illegal coal miners were killed in a mine collapse in Narayankuri in Raniganj.