E-Paper
Illegal sand mining: SHO suspended over allegations of laxity in border areas
SSP-rural Swapan Sharma said they’ve been getting reports that Sub-Inspector Jaswinder Singh who had been posted as SHO Bhindi Saidan, failed to control the illegal sand mining
A station house officer (SHO) was suspended on Sunday for allegedly not curbing the illegal sand mining in the border areas of Amritsar district.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP-rural) Swapan Sharma said they had been getting reports that sub-inspector (SI) Jaswinder Singh, who had been posted as SHO Bhindi Saidan, failed to control the illegal activities of sand mining in his area. “There was no particular report, but many reports had surfaced against the SHO’s work. Thus, we have suspended him till further order,” he said. Sources said, “Reports of illegal mining in some small villages near Miadian village surfaced.” The action against the SHO comes days after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government appointed Miadian village’s Baldev Singh as chairman of Pungrain.
Earlier on September 12, Punjab Governor Banwari Lal Purohit had visited various border villages of Amritsar district. The governor had flagged the issue of illegal mining in the border areas, terming such activities as ‘treason’. The governor had also cited the border security force (BSF)’s recent complaint in the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding the rampant illegal mining which is causing damage to the security force’s bunkers, bridges and other sensitive points.
The governor had given strict directions to Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav to deal with strictness with ‘black sheep’ in the department to curb the problems of drug menace and illegal sand mining activities.
