Driver killed, 2 cops injured as cattle smugglers ram police car
Times of India | 18 April 2025
12 Nandigram: Suspected cattle smugglers rammed a police vehicle which tried to intercept it, killing a police driver and injuring two others, in East Midnapore's Reyapara on Thursday morning. The death led to strong protests by locals, who blocked the Chandipur-Nandigram road over police failure to stop cattle smuggling in these parts and the inability of cops to arrest the smugglers despite the incident getting captured on CCTV cameras.
According to police sources, patrolling in the zone was increased after local villagers complained that oxen were being lured with food and smuggled away in dumpers. As cops spotted one such dumper, driver Sahadeb Pradhan parked the police vehicle across the road to stop the smugglers. The dumper did not stop and hit the vehicle, injuring the cops. By the time police and locals could rush Pradhan to Reyapara Rural Hospital, he had died.
Locals then blocked roads in protest and refused to let police take Pradhan's body for postmortem. Bengal leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari criticised police's inability to arrest culprits who had killed their colleague. Local BJP neta Soumitra De said: "Residents are demanding swift arrest of the culprits. If the police do not take swift action, locals will mount larger resistance."