Coal thieves attack security personnel in Jharkhand colliery, 3 injured

A large number of people attacked security personnel in a colliery in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district injuring three of them, after they tried to stop locals from stealing coal on Saturday, police said.

Four vehicles of the Central Industrial Security Force(CISF) and the police were also damaged in the attack which occurred at Kapsara Colliery under Eastern Coalfields Limited.

Nirsa Sub-Divisional Police Officer Vijay Kushwahasaid that hundreds of people, including women, were stealing coal from a dumpsite of the colliery in Mugma area when security guards of the mine tried to stop them.

As the coal thieves pelted them with stones, the CISFand the police were informed and when the personnel reached the spot, they too faced the attack.

''Three security personnel were injured and four cars were damaged in the incident. However, the coal thieves fled after seeing that more police personnel have arrived,'' the DPO said.

He said that the colliery does not have a proper arrangement to check coal theft.

In a similar incident in Kapsara colliery in Novemberlast year, locals attacked the car of a general manager of theECL forcing his bodyguard to fire in the air, after theofficer stopped them from stealing coal.

Theft of coal either from goods trains or from minesis a perennial problem for the administration in coal-richJharkhand. Many people living near collieries earn theirlivelihood by stealing the fuel.