A tractor allegedly laden with sand illegally mined from the Yamuna crushed a student to death on Monday.
The tractor, which has now been seized by Haryana police, had crossed dozens of barricades in different towns of Uttar Pradesh to make its way into Faridabad. The speeding tractor hit a bike on Monday morning in Ballabgarh. The pillion rider came under the wheels of the tractor, killing him on the spot.
The incident triggered protests in the area.
Police said the deceased has been identified as Rakesh, 17, a resident of Sector 3. Dinesh, who had been driving the bike, has suffered critical injuries. The incident took place near Budutt colony under City Ballabgarh police station.
Raj Kumar, driver of the tractor, was later arrested and the tractor seized. On interrogation, Raj Kumar revealed that the sand had been mined from Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh near Palwal district of Haryana and was being transported to Faridabad.
Police has registered a case against Raj Kumar.
In a separate case, SGM Nagar police in Faridabad seized a dumper laden with illegally mined sand from Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh on Monday.
According to police, the dumper was on its way to Sector 48 in Faridabad when the dumper was seized.
"The driver said that the sand was illegally mined from the Yamuna's bank along Uttar Pradesh," said Narinder Rao, SHO, SGM Nagar.
{{/usCountry}}"The driver said that the sand was illegally mined from the Yamuna's bank along Uttar Pradesh," said Narinder Rao, SHO, SGM Nagar.
{{/usCountry}}The Faridabad administration has raised the alert against the sand mafia after a police constable was crushed to death under a dumper laden with illegally mined sand from Yamuna, a few days ago.
The administration has put on surveillance 15 villages situated near the Yamuna. The officials suspect involvement of village heads in allowing mining of sand and has directed them to report sand lifting cases.