Rourkela: Koida police in Bonai subdivision of Sundargarh district on Friday launched a manhunt for a man accused of engaging several people in illegal manganese mining inside Malda Khesra Forest, where one of the workers died and another sustained grievous injuries after a heap of soil collapsed on them.Deceased Krish Kachhap (20) and injured Raj Munda (20) were natives of Keonjhar district. Munda is undergoing treatment at a hospital.Police said Kachhap and Munda, along with others, were engaged on Wednesday afternoon by Ram Balmuch to extract manganese ore from Malda Khesra forest illegally when a heap of soil suddenly collapsed on them. The other workers rescued both the youths, and took them to a hospital at Joda in Keonjhar district, where doctors declared Kachhap brought dead and admitted Munda. The hospital authorities informed Rugudi police station in Keonjhar district. Rugudi police, after a preliminary enquiry, informed the Koida police station on Thursday.Koida police, after speaking to the family members of the victims, learnt about Balmuch, and registered a case of negligence against him. Hursikesh Pradhan, sub-inspector, said Balmuch absconded after they started searching for him.As the postmortem of Kachhap’s body could not be done in Koida area due to the doctors’ strike on Friday, police sent it to Keonjhar district headquarters hospital. After the postmortem, the body was handed over to his family.
