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Four illegal sand miners booked for hitting Assistant sub-inspector
The main accused was identified as Bunty Rawat, a resident of Morena while three others are yet to be identified, said Sampath Upadhyay, superintendent of police (SP), Sheopur.
Police registered a case against four illegal miners for hitting and abusing an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) in Sheopur district on Saturday while he was checking the transportation of illegally mined sand at a Morena-Sheopur border check post, said police.
The miners also fled with four tractor-trolleys laden with illegally mined sand from the check post.
The main accused was identified as Bunty Rawat, a resident of Morena while three others are yet to be identified, said Sampath Upadhyay, superintendent of police (SP), Sheopur.
The SP also ordered an inquiry on the police personnel after a video of the incident went viral on social media in which two miners with a trolley laden with illegally mined sand are accusing police of taking money from them.
“In the video, a miner can be seen hitting and abusing a police assistant sub-inspector Rajendra Jadon posted at Vijaypur police station while threatening him of dire consequences. He was also seen in the video accusing police personnel of taking money from them not for taking action but, they are heard saying, now police are stopping them. Another miner threatened the police personnel by saying that don’t call him and if he calls him it won’t be a good for him,” as seen in the video.
Upadhyay said, “Bunty Rawat and three others, all residents of Morena, were coming from Morena in tractor-trolleys laden with illegally mined sand from Chambal river, where mining is prohibited since 2006. ASI Rajendra Jadon stopped them, they slapped him and also pushed him hard. Later, they threatened the police personnel and fled from the spot.”
An FIR has been registered under section 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 186 (Obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 332 (voluntarily causes hurt to any person being a public servant in the discharge of his duty), 294 (obscene act) and 506 (criminal intimidation) on the complaint of Jadon, said Upadhyay.
Upadhyaya said, “An inquiry has been ordered to check the claims of illegal miners of giving money to police personnel and the relation of police personnel with sand mafia.”
Locals have raised question and saying there is a nexus of police and sand mafia.
A political analyst and local activist Jayant Singh said, “A few days ago, the sand mining mafia attacked a team of district administration in Vijaypur area of Sheopur and fled with the tractor-trolleys by threatening a district administration team led by a sub-divisional magistrate . The SDM had asked for police protection but police reached after an hour of the incident. This is only one example. There are audio and video clips that went viral on social media in the past in which illegal miners can be heard they have police protection in Morena, Sheopur and Bhind and that’s why hardly any strict action was taken against them. We also believe this as we have never seen any strict drive against illegal miners in Chambal.”
Meanwhile, former chief minister and MP Congress Committee state president Kamal Nath said, “With the change in government, the illegal sand mining returned to MP. Sand mafia is openly beating police personnel and accusing them of illegal recovery of money. Sand mafia is attacking on a government official and the state government chose to keep mum. Who is protecting sand mafia in MP? Why state government is not taking action against them.”
BJP state spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said, “Kamal Nath ji should first answer the allegations made by his own party leaders of flourishing sand mafia during his regime. Now, FIR is being registered by the police against sand mafia and all the measures are being taken to stop the illegal mining.”
