Police on Sunday claimed to have busted an illegal sand mining racket with the arrest of two of its members. A sand-laden truck and an excavator were seized in Mehra Kalan village falling under the Taragarh police station, police said.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Daljinder Singh Dhillon said a team led by inspector Navdeep Sharma received input that a sand mining racket was being run in Mehra Kalan village.
The arrested have been identified as Pawan Kumar of Bhua village in Pathankot and Sikandar Singh of Nathu Khehra village in Gurdaspur. Pawan was driving a poclain machine while Sikandar was driving a tipper truck which was laden with sand when they were nabbed.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Daljinder Singh Dhillon said a team led by inspector Navdeep Sharma received input that a sand mining racket was being run in Mehra Kalan village.
“The police team nabbed the accused while they were digging sand in the village. The investigation found that the mining was being carried out by Rajat Sharma, owner of Balaji Stone Crusher, Mehra Kalan, using their labour and poclain machines. The accused had dug a huge pit near the crasher that was hidden from view,” the SSP said.
He said teams are hunting to nab Rajat Sharma. All three accused have been booked under various sections of the Mining Act at Taragarh police station.