Deep pits found, illegal sand mining suspected in Ajnala

PK Jaiswar

Amritsar, September 16

The Amritsar rural police have booked seven persons in five different cases of illegal mining in Ajnala subdivision. However, no arrests have been made till now.

All suspects were booked following demarcation of the agricultural land where Mining Department officials found huge pits indicating illegal sand mining.

Among those nominated in five FIRs included Sehraj Singh and his brother Sardool Singh, Sukhjinder Singh, Amar Singh, Rajwant Singh alias Tita, Khuddar Singh and his brother Sardara Singh.

Yash Kakkar, junior engineer-cum-mining inspector, lodged a complaint with the Ajnala police regarding illegal sand mining in Raipur Kalan village. Following which a police team led by ASI Kewal Singh visited the spot and found a 15-ft deep ditch which was 220-ft long and over 82-ft wide. The police found marks of JCB tyres on the spot. During the demarcation, the land found to be belonged to Sehraj Singh and his brother Sardool Singh.

In the village, another 12-ft deep pit with 82-ft breadth and 110-ft length was found. The police found high level illegal sand mining from the spot. The land belonged to Amar Singh.

Similarly, following complaint by Mining inspector Sandeep Garg, the police found a 15-ft deep trench with 110-ft length and breadth from Saidogazi village. Here also, the police teams found fresh signs machinery involved in illegal sand mining at the spot. The land found to be in the name of Sukhjinder Singh.

Another big pit of illegal sand mining was found in Sarangdev and Ballarwal village. In Sarangdev, a 15-ft deep pit with 137-ft breadth and 275-ft length was found while in Ballarwal village a huge crater of 18-ft depth and 154-ft breadth and 302-ft length was found. The lands belonged to Rajwant Singh and Khuddar Singh and Sardara Singh respectively.

These pits indicate towards mass level illegal sand mining in the border belt.