Unidentified criminals have torched two boulder-laden heavy vehicles called in local lingo hyva at Kootiya More under the Chhaterpur police station limits last night May 27.
The boulders were being taken down to a stone crushing plant ahead of the Kootiya More when it was intercepted and then set afire last night around 10 pm.
A group of about a dozen people were found drinking wine near a huge Mahua tree close to the site of the torching prior to the commission of crime.
Sources said influence of liquor and thirst for easy money could have caused this crime of torching of the boulder laden heavy vehicles in Palamu.
SDPO Chhaterpur Awadh Kishore Yadav has confirmed the torching of the two boulder-laden heavy vehicles.
"We rule out any naxal angle of this torching. Prima facie it appears to be a handwork of the criminals" reiterated the SDPO Yadav.
The number of the unidentified criminals was around 7 to 8.
Again a few of the arsonists have a desi katta with them said the police.
There is left no hand written leaflet at the site of the torching of the two boulder laden heavy vehicles added the SDPO Yadav.
However the SDPO conceded the torching was done all for money from the vehicle owner.
The two torched heavy vehicles belonged to a local whose name police wanted not to be revealed.
The victim owner has lodged a FIR against the unknown people.
Police investigation has begun.
Asked about any immediate threat or intimidating call to the victim owner to which the SDPO Yadav said "It's not so."
The drivers of the two torched heavy vehicles were frightened but not harmed, added the SDPO Yadav.