A drunken youth allegedly assaulted a forest official in Muktapasi Beat under the Kamakhyanagar Western Forest Range in Dhenkanal district on Tuesday. Forester Chandrasekhar Behera was severely injured after being reportedly attacked with a lathi by the youth. Behera suffered serious head injuries and was admitted to the nearby hospital in a critical condition.
The accused was identified as Pinku Parida of Padmapokhari village. According to reports, Behera was having his meal at home when Parida barged into his residence in an inebriated condition and rained blows on him with the lathi.
Hearing Behera shouts for help, other officials rushed to the spot , They overpowered Parida and detained him. Later he was handed over to the Kamakhyanagar police. “I don’t know official. I attacked him at instigation of a member of the elephant squad of Muktapasi beat,” claimed the accused.