Bihar illegal sand mining nexus: 17 officers including 2 SPs, 4 DSPs suspended

The illegal sand mining business was thriving in Bihar since many law enforcement officials had turned mute spectators due to pressure from a politically backed strong illegal mining lobby, said officials in the home department.

Two Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, four deputy superintendents of police (DSP) rank officers besides four Bihar Administrative Service officers (BAS) were among 17 officials suspended on Tuesday for aiding and abetting illegal sand mining mafias in four districts of the state and they were asked to report to their respective headquarters, a notification by the state home department and general administration department (GAD) said.

Bihar home department had expressed concern over the illegal mining in Bihar and asked the economic offence unit (EoU) to conduct a detailed probe against suspicious government officers. (Hindustan Times)

Former Aurangabad SP Sudhir Kumar Podika, Bhojpur SP Rakesh Kumar Dubey, sub-divisional officer (Dehri) Sunil Kumar Singh, Paliganj DSP Tanvir Ahmad, Sadar DSP (Aurangabad) Anup Kumar, DSP (Ara) Pankaj Rawat and DSP (Dehri) Sanjay Kumar, Koilwar circle officer (CO) Anup Kumar, Paliganj CO Rakesh Kumar and Barun CO Basant Ray have all been suspended with immediate effect.

According to the notification the police officers have been attached with police headquarters while BAS officers have been attached to the divisional commissioner office in Patna. All the suspended officers will face departmental proceedings. Officials in the general administrative department said on condition of anonymity that a motor vehicle inspector (MVI) along with six officers of mines and geology department were also suspended allegedly for aiding and abetting the illegal sand mining mafia.

Bihar home department, on July 9, had expressed concern over the illegal mining in Bihar and asked the economic offence unit (EoU) to conduct a detailed probe against suspicious government officers, several of whom were found to be complicit by the probe.

The EoU found that the mining mafia used sophisticated technology to carry out their operation. Recently, during a crackdown at an illegal sand mining and smuggling site at Patna’s Sone River, police seized high-tech boats fitted with dredging equipment.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has repeated on multiple occasions that his government has “zero tolerance towards crime and corruption in the state” and has called out the police department from crime and corruption in its ranks.

The EOU has begun a preliminary inquiry in disproportionate assets allegedly amassed by 42 government officers, including the 17, who were suspended on Tuesday.