5 forest guards injured in attack by villagers in Jharkhand's Palamu

Medininagar (Jharkhand), Mar 23 (PTI) Five forest guards were injured after a group of villagers allegedly attacked them when they went to seize "illegally mined stones" in Jharkhand's Palamu district, police said on Sunday.

The incident took place in Bansdiha forest in Chhatarpur police station area, SDPO Awadh Yadav said.

Yadav said the forest department had got a tip-off that stones were being illegally mined and stored in Bansdiha forest.

A team of 16 guards reached the site late on Saturday and found two tractors filled with stones, a forest department official said.

"As we seized the vehicles, villagers, including women and children, gathered there and attacked us. The SDPO and other officials rescued us," said Ashutosh Tiwari, one of the injured forest guards.

The injured persons have been admitted to Medinirai Medical College and Hospital.

Investigation is underway, police said. PTI CORR SAN RBT