A late-night operation against illegal excavation turned dramatic in Kuhi tehsil when a Naib Tehsildar risked his life to stop a moving excavator. The incident occurred on Tuesday night, where the officer clung to the moving machine for nearly three kilometres during a chase. The incident took place in Bori Naik village, and has once again drawn attention to the audacity of the excavation mafia operating in the district. The officer, Buddhabhushan Nikalje, had received a tip-off about illegal excavation, on Tuesday night. He immediately rushed to the spot with his team. Accompanying him were Village Revenue Officer Mohan Pawar, Anand Maske, Revenue Assistant Nilesh Tirpude and personnel from Veltur Police Station. According to the officials, the team tried to seal off the area to prevent anyone from escaping. But just as they moved in, the driver of an excavator (MH-40/CQ-2388) suddenly accelerated and attempted to flee the spot.

 

“We clearly signalled him to stop, but he ignored us and sped away,” a team member later told police. In that critical moment, Nikalje made a decision that could have cost him his life. He grabbed onto the moving excavator in an attempt to stop the accused from fleeing. What followed was a tense and dangerous ride, with the officer holding on as the heavy machine raced over uneven roads for nearly three kilometres. “I knew, if I let go, he would get away,” Nikalje said in his statement to the police. The driver, in a desperate bid to shake him off the excavator, allegedly drove recklessly and even tried to ram the machine into roadside trees.

 

Despite the risk, Nikalje held on. His shirt was torn in the struggle and he suffered minor injuries, but he did not give up. He also filmed a video of the incident and submitted to the police. Another accused, driving a tractor, allegedly tried to run him over. “The tractor came straight towards me. For a moment, I thought it was over,” Nikalje recalled. “I jumped aside at the last second and that’s how I survived.” By then, police teams had started closing in. Officers quickly surrounded the area, cutting off the escape routes. The excavator driver, identified as Mayur Thote, was caught on the spot. Meanwhile, police teams quickly moved in and surrounded the area. Two tractor owners involved in the illegal excavation also were taken into custody. A police officer said, “This was a serious attempt to obstruct Government duty and even harm an officer. Strict action will be taken against those involved.”