Illegal sand mining: Guv shoots off letter to Mann, seeks report on AAP MLA’s allegations, transfer of SSP
Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit wrote to chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday seeking a detailed report on the allegations of ruling Aam Aadmi Party’s Khadoor Sahib MLA against the police and subsequent transfer of Tarn Taran senior superintendent of police (SSP) following the arrest of the legislator’s relative for alleged involvement in illegal sand mining
Chandigarh : Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit wrote to chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday seeking a detailed report on the allegations of ruling Aam Aadmi Party’s Khadoor Sahib MLA against the police and subsequent transfer of Tarn Taran senior superintendent of police (SSP) following the arrest of the legislator’s relative for alleged involvement in illegal sand mining.

The governor, in his letter to Mann, said he has been reading contradictory reports in the media regarding the MLA’s allegations about corruption in the police, involvement of MLA’s close relatives in the illegal mining during the night, suspension of police officials and subsequent transfer of the Tarn Taran SSP.
“The issue of illegal mining is an important in Punjab and a lot of corruption is attributed to this. In the background of this, some media reports pointed out that police party busted an illegal mining activity going on during the night in Tarn Taran district and one close relative of the MLA is part of it. The media reports further suggest that that the police party that went to raid the illegal mining activity was suspended and the SSP was transferred,” he wrote without naming anyone.
Purohit asked the chef minister for a detailed report on the allegations by the MLA, illegal mining activity and subsequent action against police officials.
The governor’s missive came days after the state government shifted SSP Gurmeet Singh Chauhan and suspended five police officials. Chauhan was asked to report to the director general of police, whereas a departmental probe was ordered against the suspended cops.
The action against police officials was taken two days after they arrested Khadoor Sahib MLA Manjinder Singh Lalpura’s brother-in-law Nishan Singh for allegedly running a sand mining nexus. Nishan was among 10 persons arrested during a special raid carried out by the CIA staff of the Tarn Taran police.
Lalpura had accused the police of implicating his brother-in-law in a false case as he had raised the issue of corruption in district police. The AAP government came under fire from the opposition parties for the allegations against its MLA’s close relative and the subsequent action against police officials, and the governor’s letter is set to provide more ammunition to them.
Purohit is scheduled to visit the border districts of Punjab, including Tarn Taran, next week. During his previous tours of borders areas, he has raised the issue of illegal mining. Purohit and Mann have had frequent run-ins over issues such as appointments to various institutions, summoning of special session of the state assembly, adherence to legal procedures, etc. over the past one year.
