Illegal sand mining: 15 booked for attacking cop, stealing impounded tractor in Pinjore

Police have booked as many as 15 men for allegedly attacking a police official and snatching a tractor seized by a team of the mining department during inspection regarding illegal sand mining, in Pinjore on Monday.

In a police complaint, assistant mining officer Sanjay Sabarwal said that he, along with other team members, had visited Burj Kotian village in Pinjore for inspection of crusher zones.

He told the police that when they were standing near a crusher zone at around 5pm, they found a tractor trolley coming from Ghaggar river side, loaded with sand and gravel.

Police said the tractor trolley was stopped by the team for checking, however, the driver of the tractor fled the spot leaving the vehicle behind. Later, head constable Narender Kumar from Amravati police post reached the spot.

MISCREANTS WAYLAID POLICE

As per the officials, when the team was about to take the tractor trolley from the spot, around 15 to 20 men came there with stones in their hands and surrounded the tractor.

“The group of men waylaid the head constable and thrashed him. They also thrashed another member of the team who was about to drive the tractor from there. They pelted stones and even snatched the gold chain of a police official,” said the mining department official.

Investigating official, sub-inspector (SI) Surender Singh said as per the complaint received, the accused persons after attacking the officials forcibly took away the tractor trolley from the spot.

‘TRIED TO RUN US OVER’

The raiding team of the mining department has alleged that the accused persons identified as Ilam, Sher Mohammad and Ali, along with some unidentified men, had attacked them, and had even tried to run them over with the tractor while fleeing.

“The mining team and a police official on the spot were attacked by a group of men and they reportedly fled towards Ambwali village after forcibly snatching the seized tractor from the team. We have initiated further investigation to trace the accused,” said the SI.

A case was registered under the Mines and Minerals Act and under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 379 (theft), 379B (snatching and use of force) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.