Banka: Police here suspect the hand of the sand mafia in Wednesday evening's incident in which a speeding truck rammed into a police patrol jeep parked on the roadside, killing one sub-inspector and leaving four officials injured.

Banka superintendent of police Chandan Kushwaha pointed an accusing finger at the owner of the truck, which hit the Bolero belonging to the Bounsi police station late on Wednesday night near the primary school in Rajapokhar on the Bhagalpur-Hansdia state highway.

"The police vehicle was parked on the roadside and our officials were watching the movement of vehicles from inside. All of a sudden, the speeding truck, loaded with sand, hit the vehicle. Our preliminary investigation reveals a conspiracy behind the accident, it is not possible without any intention," Kushwaha told The Telegraph.

The SP revealed that on March 20, 2018, the district mining officer, Banka, had seized a truck belonging to one Dilip Kedia for illegally transporting sand from neighbouring Jharkhand and also for overloading of the vehicle. Dilip and his brother Sandeep Kedia allegedly created a ruckus against the police action at Bajrangwai Chak in Bounsi, 300km east of Patna.

"The duo had also threatened the Bounsi police and the district mining officer, Banka, with dire consequences in full view of the public. An FIR was lodged by the district mining officer, Banka, against the Kedia brothers (case no-77/18-Bounsi PS) in that incident," Kushwaha said.

According to Kushwaha, sub-inspector Ramlakhan Prasad (59), who hailed from Gaya and was posted at Bounsi police station, went towards Rajapokar, some 12km south, for routine patrolling duty on Wednesday evening. He, along with constables Santosh Kumar Yadav (30), Amrendra Kumar Rao (28) and Shahid Kumar (26), and the driver of the police vehicle, Arvind Kumar (27), were in the Bolero which was parked on the roadside.

"All of a sudden, the truck, which came from the direction of Jharkhand, dashed against the police vehicle. Sub-inspector Prasad died on the spot while the others sustained grievous injuries and were later sent to JLNMC hospital, Bhagalpur," he said. "Police had to use gas-cutters for taking out the injured persons from the smashed vehicle."

Sources at the hospital said the condition of the driver was serious.

"We are investigating the incident and since it appears that it was done deliberately with mala fide intention, a case of murder would be constituted against the responsible persons soon at Bounsi PS," Kushwaha said.

Sources, however, alleged that the incident was the result of the collection of money by police and mining department officials from illegal sand carrying vehicles. Hundreds of vehicles daily enter Bihar from Jhar-khand to smuggle sand from many small rivers located at the areas.

"Each sand loading vehicle has to give money to the police and officials of the mining department," the source said.

"Police on the Bihar side, especially in Banka, are ruthless about collecting money from such vehicles carrying sand. Wednesday evening's incident may be the outcome of such a dispute," said Binod Hembrom of Bhaljor village located beside the Bhagalpur-Hansdiha state highway on the Banka-Dumka border.