Illicit sand mining racket busted in Punjab’s Pathankot, kingpin among 4 held

Pathankot police have busted an illegal sand mining racket being operated at Raijpur Rajputan village and arrested the kingpin.

AMRITSAR

The police have recovered three trailers and a tractor, an earthmoving machine from a restricted area. (HT Photo)

Pathankot police have busted an illegal sand mining racket being operated at Raijpur Rajputan village and arrested the kingpin.

With the arrest of the main accused, identified as Surinder, the police have recovered three trailers and a tractor, an earthmoving machine from a restricted area.

A case has been registered against Surinder and Roopa, a resident of Saharanpur, Aman, and an unidentified person under Sections 21(1) Mines & Minerals Act, 379 (theft) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Taragarh police station.

Police said illegal mining was being carried out at the village on Tuesday night. A team led by Taragarh station house officer Navdeep Sharma reached the spot and seized three trailers loaded with sand, a tractor, and one JCB machine, which were used for illegal mining activities.

This is the second big action against illegal mining in Pathankot district. Pathankot senior superintendent of police (SSP) Harkamal Preet Singh Khakh said in the previous week, the Pathankot police seized four tippers engaged in the transportation of illicit mining material. Of the four tippers intercepted, owners of three have been fined ₹2 lakhs each, he said.