Illegal sand mining racket at Vrishabhavati river busted

BENGALURU:  A city-based organisation which works for human rights and the State Geology department joined forces to stop illegal sand mining taking place at one stretch of Vrishabhavati River in Kengeri recently. Members of the group Rise UP for Rights noticed sand being taken from the river on the night of December 7, said K Hemant, a member and social activist.

“We went to the police station in Kengeri and they asked us to approach officials in the geology department,” he said. 

They submitted videos and photographs geology department officials who agreed to meet them at the spot for a surprise check. Geologist K G Chandrashekhar of the Department of Mines and Geology, said, “Three of us and four members of the group visited the place early in the morning of December 15. We got hold of one person, V Kumar, loading black soil on the tractor. However, three others who were inside the water removing sand escaped.” 

The cops arrived and seized the tractor with sand from him and took him into custody, he added. He named three others Byrappa, Ravi and Reddy as his accomplices. Kengeri Inspector C Vasant said he was posted recently. “A case has been filed in the ACMM court. We are taking it very seriously,” he said.