Two held for attack on Panchkula mining team

Panchkula, February 27

Two persons have been arrested for allegedly attacking a mining team, led by District Mining Officer Om Dutt Sharma, in Raipur Rani on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday.

The suspects have been identified as Gopal, alias Dhaula, a resident of Kheri village in Raipur Rani, and Abhishek, a resident of Haripur village in Raipur Rani.

The District Mining Officer had filed a police complaint in which he mentioned that around 3 am, he, along with his team, was inspecting a river bank near Badona village in Raipur Rani to check illegal mining. Meanwhile, the mining team spotted a tractor-trailer laden with illegally mined sand coming on the Morni road.

The mining staff signalled the driver to stop. Seeing the mining team, the driver accelerated the vehicle and went towards the crusher zone and subsequently stopped at M/s Punia Sc Plant. “As the mining team chased the tractor-trailer, the driver attacked the mining team. In the meantime, a Swift car, bearing the registration number, HR 03N 9213, arrived at the spot. Three-four masked men came out of car with sticks and swords and entered into a scuffle with the mining team. They then threatened the mining team and freed the sand-laden tractor-trailer,” the FIR mentioned, quoting the complainant.

A case in this regard was registered at the Raipur Rani police station under Sections 186 (voluntarily obstructing any public servant in discharge of his functions), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty), 34 (common intention), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty), 379 (theft) and 506 (criminal initimidation) of the IPC and Section 21 of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation of Development) Act. Section 307 (attempt to murder) has also been added to the FIR.

Mining Officer reinstated

Suspended District Mining Officer Om Dutt Sharma has been reinstated pending an inquiry. Sharma was placed under suspension on July 23 last year by Haryana Sports Minister Sandeep Singh over his “failure to stop large-scale mining” in the district during a meeting of the District Public Relations and Grievance Redressal Committee at the PWD Rest House in Sector 1.

The action followed after he “failed” to present an action-taken report sought by the minister on illegal mining to fix responsibility of senior officials in June last year.

Sharma confirmed that his reinstatement orders were issued on February 8.

Meanwhile, illegal mining continues to be a persistent problem in the district. At the Raipur Rani police station alone, three FIRs have been registered this month so far.

In December last year, Deputy Commissioner Mahavir Kaushik had constituted four teams to curb the menace in coordination with the Mining Department. —