E-Paper
Bihar: SHO among four cops injured in sand mafia attack in Gaya; two held
Based on a tip-off that illegally mined sand from Falgu River was being transported, a police patrolling team from Delha intercepted and seized a sand-laden tractor near Chotki Nawada Gandhi area
A station house officer (SHO) and three policemen were injured after they came under attack from sand mafia on the outskirts of Gaya town in Bihar on Saturday, said people familiar with the matter.
The mafia goons attacked a police patrolling team and damaged a police jeep, they said.
According to the people, based on a tip-off that illegally mined sand from Falgu River was being transported, a police patrolling team from Delha intercepted and seized a sand-laden tractor near Chotki Nawada Gandhi area.
As the police were bringing it to the station, they were attacked with stones in which Delha SHO Dharmendra Kumar, and constables Niranjan Prasad, Nazimuddin Khan and Rajiv Dubey were injured while a police jeep was damaged, forcing the police team to retreat, said the people mentioned above.
Following the incident, Gaya senior superintendent of police (SSP) Ashish Bharti reached the spot with reinforcement from adjacent Civil Lines, Chandauti and Kotwali police stations and controlled the situation.
The SSP on Sunday said they have registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Mining Act. The sand tractor has been seized, and two persons involved in the attack were arrested, he added.
The SSP said that the police were identifying the assailants through video footage, and raids were on to nab them.
“Stringent action would be taken against them and nobody would be spared at any cost,” he said.
Bharti said some policemen had sustained minor injuries in the attack and were safe.
Police and mining officials often become targets for the mafia involved in illegal mining and transportation of sand.
On April 23, Mohania sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Satyendra Prasad had a narrow escape when the driver of a seized truck tried to crush his vehicle to escape custody on GT Road (NH 19) in Kaimur district.
On April 17, three mining department officers, including a woman officer, were critically injured and a few constables sustained injuries after they were attacked by sand mafia near Koilwar bridge under Bihta police station limits of Patna district.
