Panna/Morena (MP): Cracking the whip on
mining mafia, the police on Monday arrested a person for firing at
cops probing illegal sand mining, even as a Morena BJP leader
was held for allegedly assaulting officers and forcibly taking
away two tractor-trolleys engaged in stone quarrying.
The arrests were made barely three days after a young IPS
officer Narendra Kumar Singh was killed allegedly by the
mining mafia in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh.
Panna Superintendent of Police Anil Maheshwari said a
person, Kubar Singh, was arrested in connection with a case of
firing on a police team, which had gone to Ajaygarh to probe
illegal mining in the area by sand mafia.
"The police, after taking control of the area, also
removed the temporary bridge over River Ken erected by the
mafia for transporting sand to neighbouring Uttar Pradesh," he
said.
The sand mafia, engaged in illegal excavation, had
yesterday opened fire at the team headed by Ajaygarh
sub-divisional magistrate Nathuram Goud and sub-divisional
police officer Jagannath Singh Markam in Chandipatha, about
70-80 km from Panna.
The police also arrested BJP`s Morena district vice
president Hamir Singh for allegedly assaulting a mining
officer and forcibly taking away two tractor-trolleys engaged
in quarrying of stones.
The BJP leader had allegedly assaulted Mining Inspector
Rajkumar Barethe on January 31 when he along with District
Mining Officer Rakesh Kaneria seized two tractor-trolleys
engaged in illegal mining.
When the two officials were carrying the seized vehicles,
they were intercepted by the BJP leader who later severely
thrashed Barethe and forcibly took away the seized trolleys,
police sources said.
A meeting of senior police officials was also held in
Morena today to review the situation.
On Thursday, the 30-year-old IPS officer was mowed down
under a tractor-trolley by an alleged member of the mining
mafia when he tried to stop a vehicle carrying illegally
quarried stones in Morena district.
Police have also registered cases against four more
persons in connection with firing on revenue and police
officials near Ajaygarh town in Panna district.
After arresting Kuber Singh from Sarvai police station
area in Chhattarpur district on the border of Panna district,
police booked Gambhir Singh and Ram Singh and two other
unidentified persons, Additional SP Sunil Tiwari told
reporters.
Meanwhile, Chattarpur Collector has ordered closure of 17
sand mines near the banks of river Ken.
PTI
