Patna, Apr 17 (IANS): Sand mafia members attacked a Mines Department team, and brutally thrashed a woman mining inspector, on the banks of Sone river in Bihar's Patna district on Monday afternoon, police said.

The mining team learnt that sand mafia were overloading the trucks near the Parev village and a team of the Mines Department and Bihta police went there for the inspection.

However, the sand mafias and truck drivers attacked the team. Seeing the assailants, outnumbered them, the police and Mines Department fled but the woman official was not as lucky, and fell down.

The assailants beat her with batons and also pelted stones on her. Soon a large number of police personnel headed by SP, City, West reached the spot and chased away the mafia members.

As per the official spokesperson of Patna police, 44 accused have been arrested in connection with attack.

"We have registered three separate FIRs in Bihta police station in connection with the incident and investigation is currently underway. We have arrested 44 accused in this connection," the spokesperson said.