Patna: Woman Cop Among 3 Injured in Attack by Sand Mafia During Illegal Mining Raid; 44 Arrested

Three officers from Bihar’s mining department, including a woman inspector, were injured after they were attacked with stones by goons while conducting raids in Patna’s Bihta block against the illegal operation of vehicles and sand mining. The police have arrested 44 people in the case and have registered three FIRs.

The team under the leadership of the District Mining Officer, District Transport Officer and Additional Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Danapur conducted a raid at the closed petrol pump under the Koilwar Bridge at around 3.45 pm. The entire team of transport and mining including MVI, and ESI were engaged in the inspection when illegal sand mafias and goons began attacking them by pelting stones and hurling abuses.

District Mining Officer Kumar Gaurav and two mining inspectors, Syed Farheen and Amya Kumari were injured in the incident and are undergoing treatment.

A video of the incident shows a large group of people chasing and throwing stones at a woman officer. The video captured several individuals, including the person filming, hurling abusive language at her and demanding to harm her. Despite the officer’s attempts to flee, the mob of miscreants swung lathis at her. As the person recording the video arrived at the scene amid the crowd, an individual was observed pulling the officer by her hand.

Police Action: 44 Arrested, 3 FIRs Filed

Patna District Magistrate, Chandrashekhar Singh, swiftly responded to the incident after receiving information, and dispatched the Sub-Divisional Officer and Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Danapur, to the location.

Intensive raids are currently underway to arrest those who were involved in pelting stones at the woman officer. Three FIRs have already been filed against 44 individuals, and approximately 50 vehicles have been confiscated.

Legal action is being taken against the vehicle owners and drivers. The Superintendent of Police, West, as well as the Sub-Divisional Officer and Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Danapur Bihta, are closely monitoring the situation. The District Magistrate has promised that legal action will be taken against all those who were involved in the incident.

A black Scorpio equipped with a wireless set has also been seized from the spot.

Speaking with CNN-News18, Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajeev Mishra said, “Several arrests have been made. The police are investigating the matter and more arrests are likely to be made. The police will soon nab the mastermind behind this incident”.

Additional Chief Secretary of the Mining Department Harjot Kaur who is currently undergoing compulsory training in LBSNAA Mussourie told CNN-News18 she condemned the recent incident of violence related to illegal sand mining. “I strongly condemn such incidents and have asked Secretary Mines to thoroughly inquire into the incident and take appropriate action,” she said. She emphasized that those involved in such incidents must be held accountable and will face legal consequences.

Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha, BJP’s Vijay Sinha slammed the Nitish Kumar-led government over the incident. Speaking to CNN News18 he said, “When we say that ‘gundaraaj’ has returned in Bihar, some people feel offended. There can’t be a better example of gundaraaj than what happened in Bihta today. A woman officer was brutally thrashed by the mafias and their goons.”

“The ruling netas should be ashamed of themselves. Who is shielding the liquor, land and sand mafias in Bihar? CM Nitish should answer this,” he said.

Bihar’s mining minister and RJD leader Ramanand Yadav reacted angrily when questioned about the incident. “What happened in Bihta is not jungleraj. Instead, what happened in Uttar Pradesh is an example of jungleraj. It would have been better if the raiding team had taken additional forces…Earlier also I had gone to the spots where 8-9 murders took place…No other minister or neta dared to go. I will go to the spot this time also and investigate myself,” he said. The minister was enraged by media questions and began asking the journalists that did they even know why police officials were thrashed, but he didn’t complete the sentence.

According to a police report submitted to the Patna High Court in 2017, illegal sand mining is thriving due to a massive nexus between the police, politically influential miners, and officials of the mines department. The report also highlighted violations committed by sand mining companies that were granted leases, especially in Patna.

“Complete connivance of state government officials, particularly those from the police, mining and transport departments…the rules and laws on mining and the environment are merely reduced to paper…,” the report said.

Recent Incidents

According to sources, at least 28 persons have been killed in a mafia gang war to control the lucrative trade during the last two years.

March 26, 2023: A police team conducting an illegal sand mining raid in Gaya were attacked by sand mafias. The miscreants took away the seized JCB forcefully and critically injured a policeman.

February 23, 2023: A mining inspector narrowly escaped being burnt alive after an attack by sand mafias in the Saran district. The inspector was checking illegal sand transportation near Sonepur and had caught a truck when the sand mafia, driving a Bolero, arrived and launched a sudden attack.

November 3, 2023: A magistrate and three police personnel were critically injured in an attack by sand mafias in the Jamui district during a raid on overloading and illegal mining activities.

September 29, 2022: Four people were shot dead in multiple rounds of firing linked to illegal sand mining in Diara, Maner in the Bihta area of Patna.

September 7, 2022: A sand mafia named Santosh Kumar barged into the district mining office in Patna and demanded the release of a seized truck allegedly used in illegal sand mining operations. He threatened a mining officer with dire consequences.

September 4, 2022: The bodyguard of a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Dehri was critically injured in a sand mafia attack.

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