Daijiworld Media Network – Madhya Pradesh

Mauganj, Mar 22: A police team in Madhya Pradesh's Mauganj district was ambushed by a group of criminals on Saturday while attempting to arrest individuals involved in the illegal trade of banned cough syrup, Corex. The assailants attacked the officers with sticks and pelted them with stones in a violent attempt to resist arrest.

The incident took place under the jurisdiction of Hanumana police station, which borders Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh). Acting on intelligence about a large consignment of Corex being smuggled into the region, a team led by Hanumana police station in-charge, Anil Kokde, rushed to the scene.

Upon arrival, authorities discovered a four-wheeler loaded with more than a dozen boxes of the illicit syrup. According to police reports, the consignment had been transported from Banaras via Mirzapur to Rewa.

As the officers attempted to seize the contraband, a group of smugglers launched a violent assault, demanding the police hand over their vehicle and an SUV. The situation escalated quickly, prompting reinforcements to be deployed. Additional police personnel arrived at the scene, restoring order, while an investigation into the incident was initiated.

This attack comes just two weeks after a mob fatally assaulted Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Ramcharan Gautam in Gadra village while he was attempting to rescue a kidnapped individual, Sunny Dwivedi. In a related incident on March 15, five other police officers sustained injuries due to stone pelting.

The recent surge in violence against law enforcement was addressed in the state assembly, leading to the transfer of Mauganj District Collector Ajay Shrivastava and Superintendent of Police Rasna Thakur. Their replacements, District Collector Sanjay Kumar Jain and SP Dilip Kumar Soni, officially assumed charge on Friday.

Authorities continue to investigate the attack and crack down on the illegal drug trade in the region.