Asansol: The Panchgachia area of Asansol was once again heated up over an attempt to smuggle illegal coal into West Bengal across the Jharkhand border and a subsequent police chase. Late on Friday night, a truck loaded with illegal coal triggered widespread sensation and anger among local residents.
According to police and local sources, a 10-wheeler truck loaded with a huge quantity of coal coming from Jharkhand entered the Duburdih checkpost in the Barakar area of Asansol. On suspicion during a naka checking, on-duty police personnel signaled the truck to stop. But panicked by the police presence, instead of slowing down, the driver attempted to flee at a dangerous speed. Within moments, a patrolling team of the Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate began chasing the speeding truck.
To evade the police, the truck driver tried to escape via inner roads, leaving the national highway. After a long chase, an extreme mishap occurred when the truck reached near Bank More in the Jubilee area of Panchgachia. Losing control due to excessive speed, the driver crashed the massive coal-laden truck heavily into the wall of an old and abandoned bank building by the roadside.
The intensity of the impact was so severe that the entire Jubilee area trembled with a loud bang. Panicked by the loud noise in the dead of night, hundreds of local residents rushed out of their homes onto the streets. After the accident, a large portion of the building was seen collapsed under the impact, and the front portion of the truck was completely crushed. However, despite the severity of the crash, the driver of the offending truck and his helper managed to flee the scene, taking full advantage of the darkness and the chaos among locals.
As soon as the news was received, a large police force from Asansol North Police Station and Kanyapur Outpost reached the spot. A huge quantity of illegal coal was recovered from the crashed truck. Following an initial investigation, the truck was seized and towed to the Kanyapur Outpost. However, the district police administration has not yet provided detailed information regarding where the recovered coal was being brought from and where it was being taken.
The anger of local residents reached a peak following this incident. Local residents allege that this is not an isolated incident. Every night under the cover of darkness, heavy trucks loaded with illegal coal cross the Jharkhand border and pass through Jubilee and Panchgachia via Asansol towards Durgapur, Bardhaman, and even Kolkata. Serious questions have been raised about the role of the police regarding how these illegal coal smuggling trucks are entering the state bypassing strict security cordons like the Duburdih checkpost.
According to locals, an influential inter-state syndicate is operating behind this smuggling racket, backed by which the coal mafia has become so reckless. The movement of overloaded coal vehicles at reckless speeds through residential areas poses a constant fear of major loss of life at any moment. The common people have demanded an immediate halt to illegal coal transportation and urged for the security of the area to be ensured.
Meanwhile, the police administration stated that searches have been launched at various suspected hideouts to locate the absconding truck driver and helper. Based on the vehicle's number plate and identification details, efforts are underway to identify the main owner and kingpins of the coal smuggling racket. Assurances have been given that the police administration will take an even stricter stance in the coming days to uproot illegal coal smuggling in the industrial belt.
