YAVATMAL: A major illegal sand mining racket was busted in Yavatmal district after the revenue and police departments carried out a raid at the Rohini sand ghat in the Wardha riverbed in Ralegaon taluka.
The late-night operation led to seizure of 11 tipper trucks, two boats and two poclain machines worth approximately 1.42 crore.
Cases were registered against 20 individuals at the Vadki police station under various sections of the law.
Excavation is prohibited after 6pm at the 31 sand ghats auctioned across Yavatmal district. Authorities received information that large-scale illegal excavation and transportation of sand was underway at the Rohini ghat beyond the permissible hours.
Pandharkawada sub-divisional police officer Robin Bansal and Ralegaon sub-divisional officer Sudhir Patil conducted a raid at around 2am. The team found sand was being illegally extracted and being loaded onto trucks.
Officials pointed out that similar illegal sand mining activities are reportedly taking place at Wani, Umarkhed and Mahagaon talukas, causing the state government losses worth lakhs of rupees every day.
Sources further revealed that sand stockpiled during the day is often transported after 10 pm to avoid detection. In some cases, revenue officials attempting to take action against sand smugglers have allegedly faced threats.
MCOCA slapped on sand mafia gang
Chandrapur: Chandrapur police have invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against alleged sand mafia members accused of murdering a man over money dispute at the Bamarda sand ghat in Warora taluka earlier this month.
Pankaj Wankhede, in his complaint filed on March 1 at Warora police station, alleged that a group of men attacked him and his associates with swords and wooden sticks. The assault led to death of Bharat Dayanand Nagpal, reports Mazhar Ali.
Police have arrested 12 accused in the case, most of them residents of Wardha district, while one is from Seoni district in Madhya Pradesh.
Police found that the accused were allegedly part of an organised criminal network involved in illegal sand mining, transportation, gambling and other unlawful activities. Special Inspector General of Police, Nagpur Range, later approved a proposal to invoke MCOCA against the gang.
