A dramatic police chase involving a JCB has unfolded in Odisha's Ganjam district, after a driver allegedly refused to stop and repeatedly broke through police barricades while operating the heavy machine at high speed. The incident reportedly took place in the Khallikote police station area and involved police teams from several neighbouring stations.
The unusual chase continued across multiple locations before the JCB was eventually abandoned near Gudiyali. The driver managed to escape on foot and remains untraced, according to the information available.
Dispute between JCB owner and driver led to police case
The incident reportedly began with a dispute between the owner of the JCB and its driver. The owner approached the police on August 15 and lodged a complaint concerning the vehicle and the alleged dispute.
Following the complaint, police registered a case and began efforts to locate the driver. By the time officers started searching for him, however, the driver had reportedly fled with the JCB.
Police teams from the Khallikote, Rambha, Purushottampur and Kabisuryanagar areas subsequently joined the operation to locate the machine and apprehend the accused driver.
JCB driver refuses to stop, breaks barricades
As police tracked the JCB, barricades were placed at different points along possible escape routes. Officers also attempted to intercept the machine in parts of the Purushottampur area.
Instead of stopping, the driver allegedly continued driving at high speed and smashed through several barricades. Police vehicles followed the JCB as officers attempted to bring the chase to an end.
The pursuit reportedly continued for a considerable distance, with multiple police teams coordinating efforts to prevent the driver from escaping.
Driver abandons JCB near Gudiyali
The chase eventually came to an end near Gudiyali, under the Kabisuryanagar police station jurisdiction.
According to the available information, the driver left the JCB in a field and escaped from the spot on foot. Police reached the location shortly afterwards and recovered the heavy vehicle.
Despite recovering the JCB, officers have not yet been able to locate the driver. A search operation is continuing, while investigators are also looking into the circumstances surrounding the dispute between the owner and the driver.
Police investigating the entire incident
The police are expected to examine the events leading up to the chase, the complaint filed by the JCB owner and the driver's alleged actions while attempting to evade the police.
Investigators will also establish whether additional offences were committed during the alleged high-speed escape and while police barricades were being breached.
The incident has drawn attention because of the unusual nature of the chase, involving a JCB rather than a conventional vehicle. A video purportedly showing the incident has also been circulating widely online.
The exact charges against the driver and further details of the investigation are expected to become clearer once police locate and question him.
