Forest guard assaulted by sand mafia inside police station; accused absconding
Arvind Chauhan | TNN | Mar 1, 2019, 21:51 IST
AGRA: A forest guard of Chambal sanctuary was allegedly assaulted and manhandled by sand mafia inside Pinhat police station premises in front of cops in UP's Agra. The incident, which was captured on a camera-enabled phone, was later widely circulated on social media.
On Thursday afternoon, a team of four forest rangers, along with two local police constables, nabbed a mafia man identified as Raju, along with a sand-laden tractor-trolley from Chambal riverbed close to Vipravali village. During the operation, two mafia men - identified as Hariom and Yogendra - managed to flee away.
Later, when the apprehended lone mafia man was brought to Pinhat police station, his associate allegedly barged inside the police station and assaulted a team member of forest guards. The victim was identified as Anirudh Kumar. Based on his written complaint, Pinhat police lodged an FIR against four sand-mafia men and booked them under IPC sections 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant for his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and the Wildlife Protection Act and the Indian Forest Act.
Speaking to TOI, Bah forest ranger Amit Sisodia said, “Raju’s elder elder brother Vijay Bahadur, who claims to run a licensed corporation of sand, barged inside the police station and assaulted our guard who caught his brother red-handed. We strongly suspect that Vijay Bahadur uses illegal Chambal sand to run his business. What’s more surprising was to know that he assaulted our guard in front of 10 cops in police station of Pinhat and later managed to flee away. Local police failed to arrest him.”
He said, “The influence of sand-mafia is so much in the region that now our guards avoid traveling alone in the area. They fear being attacked to death. In the past too, the mafia men who have local political support have attempted deadly attack on our forest rangers and gaurds in anti-sand mining operations.”
According to police, only Raju, the tractor-trolley driver has been arrested.
Talking to TOI, Sher Singh, station house officer of Pinhat, said, “There was no assault on the forest guard, but it was a hot talk between him and accused’s brother. Though we have lodged an FIR based on the written complaint of the guard.”
Though when SHO was questioned over the viral video showing the manhandling of the guard by accused Vijay Bahadur, the officer refused to comment.
On Thursday afternoon, a team of four forest rangers, along with two local police constables, nabbed a mafia man identified as Raju, along with a sand-laden tractor-trolley from Chambal riverbed close to Vipravali village. During the operation, two mafia men - identified as Hariom and Yogendra - managed to flee away.
Later, when the apprehended lone mafia man was brought to Pinhat police station, his associate allegedly barged inside the police station and assaulted a team member of forest guards. The victim was identified as Anirudh Kumar. Based on his written complaint, Pinhat police lodged an FIR against four sand-mafia men and booked them under IPC sections 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant for his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and the Wildlife Protection Act and the Indian Forest Act.
Speaking to TOI, Bah forest ranger Amit Sisodia said, “Raju’s elder elder brother Vijay Bahadur, who claims to run a licensed corporation of sand, barged inside the police station and assaulted our guard who caught his brother red-handed. We strongly suspect that Vijay Bahadur uses illegal Chambal sand to run his business. What’s more surprising was to know that he assaulted our guard in front of 10 cops in police station of Pinhat and later managed to flee away. Local police failed to arrest him.”
He said, “The influence of sand-mafia is so much in the region that now our guards avoid traveling alone in the area. They fear being attacked to death. In the past too, the mafia men who have local political support have attempted deadly attack on our forest rangers and gaurds in anti-sand mining operations.”
According to police, only Raju, the tractor-trolley driver has been arrested.
Talking to TOI, Sher Singh, station house officer of Pinhat, said, “There was no assault on the forest guard, but it was a hot talk between him and accused’s brother. Though we have lodged an FIR based on the written complaint of the guard.”
Though when SHO was questioned over the viral video showing the manhandling of the guard by accused Vijay Bahadur, the officer refused to comment.
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