Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, April 18
Hundreds of supporters of alleged sand mafia on Tuesday gheraoed the Bihta police station, where about 50 people were detained for production before the court in connection with Monday’s violent attack on the mining officials including Ms Amiya Kumari, a woman inspector.
They were demanding release of the arrested people claiming they were innocent shop keepers of Pareb, Sone and Bihta and not involved in sand mining. The main gate of police station was locked as they tried to break it open.
Later, 44 people were sent to judicial custody on different charges filed under the Arms Act, Indian Penal Code, Bihar Prevention of illegal mining, transportation and storage amendment Act 2021.
According to the first information report filed by Kumar Gaurav, district mining officer, two teams of mining department had visited Sone River to inspect illegal sand mining from the river bed at Lekhan Tola on Koelwar side and Pareb site. They found over 100 trucks loaded with sand parked on both sides of the river. They wanted permit papers from the truck drivers.
Gaurav in his FIR said the members of the sand mafia attacked the team members with lathis, two pistols were used, he alleged. The woman mining inspector was dragged and punched on the ground. With the help of home guards, she could save her life.
Police found an abandoned Scorpio, one walkie-talkie equipment, two mobile sets.
Bihta, 30 km west of Patna is notorious spot for sand mafia. Two months ago, two gangs of sand mafia had clashed at Amnabad and over 1,000 bullets were fired, four workers from Chandi, Sandesh and Kolelwar, all villages on the banks of Sone river were killed in the shootout. Police recovered 500 empty cartridges after firing stopped. Harendra Rai, Shatrughan Rai, Laldev Rai, Vikky Kumar Singh were found dead.
For building construction purposes, sand of Sone is considered most suitable. Following orders of the National Green Tribunal, state government had formulated a sand mining policy in 2016 under which government allots the mining ghats to agencies on payment of premium. Mining is allowed on 138 ghats during the mining period between October and February.
Sand mining is considered profitable not only for the sand mafia, but for the police and civil officers posted in the districts. Last year, 155 FIRs were filed at different places against the sand mafia. Mining department had collected Rs 1177 crore as fine from the overloaded trucks last year.
In Rohtas district, another catchment area of Sone river, sand worth Rs 179 crore was stolen from the sand depots of the state government. Three FIRs were filed at Kochas, Dehri, Tilauthu, police stations. FIRs filed by assistant director of mining department Gopal Kumar claimed the sand mafia headed by Aditya builders had stolen 5.27 crores cubic feet of sand from 17 dumping points. Earlier, this company was given contracts for sand mining.
In Gaya district too, sand mafia were booked for illegal mining from Morhar river following protests from the villagers of Belwar, Kothi, Imamganj, Raniganj and Kusumi. Police had arrested three mining contractors.
In Bhojpur district,another catchment area of Sone,officer in charge of Sahar police station,Anand Kumar has been named as an accused in illegal sand mining case.Two policemen of the station,have been arrested.The officer in charge had shared his mobile number with the mafia for collection on paytm.
Illegal sand mining by mafia has adversely hit the civil and police officers.Rakesh Kumar Dubey, an IPS officer and then SP of Bhojpur and Sudhir Kumar Porika, also an IPS and SP of Aurangabad are still under suspension for their alleged links with sand mafia, Four deputy SPs and circle officers of Paliganj, Barun, Koelwar and Sahar are also under suspension on the same charges.
