Himachal SDM’s attacker booked for murder attempt,sand mafia faces crackdown

A local court had already remanded the accused to five days police remand.

Initially,the police had booked Makhan Singh only under section 353 IPC (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) but later in the day as pressures grew on Superintendent of Police (Baddi) S.Arul Kumar,the police added new sections of 307 and 279 (rash driving) and 336 (endangering personal safety of others).

Today,Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh,acting on a report sent by Deputy Commissioner Solan Madan Chauhan,ordered for a major crack down against the mining mafia active in the state.

“I have just ordered the administration to probe this particularly incident,and then tighten its noose around illegal mining/sand mafia. A coordinated drive should be launched immediately to deal with those involved in unlawful mining. The government has fully support the action of young IAS officer Yunus. He will get a full support to check illegal mining in the area”,Virbhadra Singh said at his residence.

Confirms Solan DC “I have sent a hard-hitting report to the Chief Secretary Sudripta Roy giving factual position and also sequence of events which followed aborted attack on SDM,who has been carrying on a relentless crusade against illegal mining. He (SDM) was being targeted by sending frivolous complaints against him. There have been complaints about inaction by the police and forest officials.”

Now,after Deputy Commissioner intervention the police promptly added attempt to murder sections on the FIR though there was still no reference to violations done under the mining act.

This was,infact,third such attempt on the SDM posted at Nalagarh for past six months and depositing an amount of Rs one crore in the state exchequer as fine he had imposed after having seizures hundreds of vehicles/tractor-trolleys carrying sand and gravels illegally.

“It’s true that kind of support,I needed from other agencies including police and forest,was not coming. The government,however,had been fully backing me” says Yunus,when contacted over phone celebrating his Eid with family in Delhi.

A batch-mate of suspended UP IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal,Yunus says he will remain undeterred by the attack and will perform his duty as the government want tough action against mining mafia to protect environment and check evasion of taxes.

Yet,in an equally significant development Director (Industries) Mohan Chauhan today reached Nalagarh and held a meeting with mining officer,local SP and revenue officials including tehsildar to draw-up a strategy to go cracking against the mining mafia.

“A committee under SDM will be set-up with officials from all departments including PWD,mining,forest,police and revenue to check all escape routes on state’s borders with Haryana and Punjab as most of the mining and smuggling of sand and gravel were being done along the borders. There are 5000 to 6000 tractors engaged in carrying of sand and gravels”,he told The Indian Express.

The mining staff,says Director,will take immediate inspections of all 30 to 32 stone crushers in the area and make inventory of the stock with them. More stringent provisions will be invoked under new mining policy to introduce bar-coding of the M-form (permissions to carry sand etc),beside introducing a supplementary form.

Reports said Wednesday’s incident though doesn’t show involvement of a particular gang or mining mafia but there have been a brazen violation and loot of the mining resources in the belt involving local politicians and other influential peoples. The forest department and police as been mixed up with the gangs had infact been helping the illegal mining,reports confirm.

Yet says Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri “we should not draw a comparison as what is happening in UP. Himachal Pradesh is a peaceful state and rule of law prevails here. No person,if found indulging in the illegal mining will be protected or spared. The government has passed strict orders and extended support to SDM in his drive.”

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Some heads to roll

Having orders ordered shifting of most of officials from Baddi-Nalagarh industrial area,Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh is likely to act tough against few police,forest and mining officials,who were not performing their duty to check illegal mining in the area or were having some nexus with sand and mining mafia.