The Moga resident arrested by the Jalandhar rural police for illegal sand mining and threatening toll plaza employees at gunpoint, used to earn a profit of ₹1.5-2 lakh a day by selling sand in the open market, police interrogation has revealed.
Police had arrested Ravinder Singh of Moga’s Kokri Vaihiniwal village, on January 22 following a complaint by toll plaza manager Sonu Tomar, who reported repeated incidents of armed threats, barrier breaking, and forced toll evasion, leading to the loss of lakhs of rupees.
During his two-day remand, police interrogators found that the accused, projected himself as ‘Pushpa’, the South Indian movie character, and threatened toll plaza employees and sand mining contractors by boasting of his “political connections”.
He had five tippers and 12 tractor-trailers, which were used for illegal mining along the Sutlej River. As per the police, the accused used to load at least 2-3 tippers of sand illegally and force toll plaza employees at gunpoint to give free passage to the vehicles every day. This had been happening for at least three years.
“When the contractors tried to approach the police, he used his political clout to pressure them,” a senior police official said, adding that he managed to evade arrest due patronage of some politicians from Moga and Dharamkot.
{{/usCountry}}“When the contractors tried to approach the police, he used his political clout to pressure them,” a senior police official said, adding that he managed to evade arrest due patronage of some politicians from Moga and Dharamkot.
{{/usCountry}}His brazenness can be gauged from the fact that when a toll plaza manager filed a written complaint with the police, the accused openly abused the local SHO, who had summoned him to the police station.
A police official said the accused owns a house in a posh area in Mohali and has also acquired one illegally in the same area. Cops recovered a .315 rifle and Toyota Fortuner (PB10-EG-9541) from his possession during his arrest.
Jalandhar senior superintendent of police (SSP) Harkamal Preet Singh Khakh said the accused has now been sent to judicial custody.
The accused has 16 criminal cases against him, including those of attempt-to-murder, theft, and illegal weapons possession. A fresh case has been registered against him under Section 125 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and other sections of the Arms Act at Mehatpur police station.