Illegal mining rampant, 36 cases registered in January 2021

In 2020, 1,862 cases were registered against 900 people while in 2019, 185 people were arrested over 150 cases were registered.

Rampant illegal mining continues in the ecologically fragile Aravallis in Tauru, Nuh and Faridabad, with the police registering 36 cases in the last month. As per the police data, since December 2019, the police have registered around 1,900 cases and seized over 2,800 vehicles, while the state has levied penalties amounting to ₹67 crore.

A total of 2,804 vehicles, including tippers, trucks, tractor-trolleys, and earthmovers, have been seized by the police between December 2019 and February 15, 2021. (HT file photo)

The police have also come under attack from mining mafia in south Haryana, said officials. In an incident last Saturday, two policemen were injured in Faridabad when they tried to stop vehicles ferrying mining extracts — sand, stones and clay — at Chandpur village. On Sunday, the police arrested three suspects and are conducting raids to arrest five more of the gang.

Preet Pal Sangwan, the assistant commissioner of police (crime), who is in charge of cracking down on illegal mining in the region, said that these gangs are so powerful that they attack the police teams and snatch their impounded vehicles. “The mining operations have been taking place in these three districts for over two decades. In November 2019, special teams were formed to crack down on illegal mining operations in the Aravallis and the operations had started in December 2019. Since then, we have been successful in controlling the mining in Nuh, Tauru and Faridabad belt,” he said.

In 2020, 1,862 cases were registered against 900 people while in 2019, 185 people were arrested over 150 cases were registered.

A total of 2,804 vehicles, including tippers, trucks, tractor-trolleys, and earthmovers, have been seized by the police between December 2019 and February 15, 2021. This number also includes 425 vehicles seized in November— the highest so far. This year, the police have already impounded 123 vehicles.

Sangwan said that first-time offenders can get back their vehicles upon paying a fine of ₹4 lakh, while second-time offenders have to pay at least 50% of the showroom value of the vehicle impounded. “Also, the impounded vehicle owner has to pay a royalty — the value of the mineral loaded on the vehicles, either crushed stones or clay sand, — along with ₹10,000 for releasing impounded vehicles,” he said.

During the incident that took place last Saturday, two policemen deployed at Kathpula bridge intercepted a vehicle ferrying clay sand on Saturday night, following which the drivers called more people, assaulted the police and fled the spot.

A case under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 379 (theft), 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property) and 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) of the Indian Penal Code(IPC) at Faridabad police station on Sunday.

The three members arrested were identified as Rajpal Singh, Brahm Dutt and Jiten Kumar of Faridabad, and were sent to judicial custody on Monday. Police said that Manjhawali and Chandpur in Faridabad and Aravalli range in Nuh and Tauru are under the scanner.