Cops crack whip on sand mining, seize 300 trucks in 2018

JAIPUR: Cracking a whip on the sand (bajri) mining mafia, the Jaipur police have seized around 300 trucks carrying illegally mined sand after the Supreme Court’s ban in this year so far.
The Jaipur police’s south district has done maximum number of seizures as majority of the outer routes in the district are those which connect outer districts to Jaipur. The outer police station like Muhana in the district (south) has seized 69 trucks so far which is highest in the city in terms of seizures. In terms of the lodging of FIRs, Sanganer Sadar has registered 39 FIRs which is highest in the city.

Senior police officers started acting sternly on information relating to them for illegal mining since January this year and were directed to ensure strict implementation of the Supreme Court’s ban.

“Majority of these trucks enter into the city either during late evening hours or early hours. That’s when the police station concerned and other night patrolling teams are asked to remain active. At many instances, we were also been tipped off by the officials of the mining department,” said Vikas Pathak, deputy commissioner of police (Crime) while talking to TOI on Thursday.

In the police district south almost 144 trucks carrying were seized till May this year while in other districts at least 60 more vehicles were seized.

In the districts like Dholpur and Sawai Madhopur those indulge in illegal mining don’t hesitate to enter into violent confrontation with the patrolling team, still that is not the case in Jaipur.

“In some of the cases we had lodged an FIR because whatever violation is been done we need engineers or other officers of the mining department as complainant. In some of the cases, they merely penalize the truck drivers, which is the reason why bajari is still coming into the city,” said a senior police officer of Jaipur police commissionerate.

In the police district (West) at least 68 such trucks were seized till May this year. “Our crackdown on the illegal mining is mostly dependent on the mining officials,” said Ashok Gupta, deputy commissioner of police (West).