Jhajjar SP directed to book firm for ‘fake sale’ of minerals

Ravinder Saini

Jhajjar, May 22

In an interesting turnaround of events, the Mines and Geology Department has asked the Jhajjar SP for the registration of a case against a Jhajjar-based firm for making fake sale of 40,402 MT of mining materials to screening plants in Yamunanagar district a month ago. It has also asked to take immediate legal action against those involved in this illegal act of issuing fake e-Ravaana passes.

The development has taken place three weeks after the Jhajjar police sent back the case without taking any action against M/S Shri Ram Builders, Bahadurgarh, pleading that beneficiaries belonged to Yamunanagar and fake e-Ravaana passes were used in Yamunanagar and so the action would be taken against the firm there only.

Sources said the mining authorities in Yamunanagar had detected the case last month and during preliminary inquiry revealed that the firm had issued fake e-Ravaanas for selling minerals like boulders, gravel and sand to various screening plants in Yamunanagar between April 20 and April 24, but physically no minerals were dispatched.

“Geologically, the mineral boulder, gravel and sand don’t exist in Jhajjar, but still the firm generated e-Ravaanas by manipulating the portal. It is a clear case of illegal trading by issuing fake e-Ravaanas and further promoting illegal mining in Yamunanagar. E-Ravaanas were issued to create fake purchases of minerals on e-portals of units in Yamunanagar so that these units could sell minerals easily in the open market after removing these illegally,” an official of the mining department stated.

Later, the Yamunanagar mining authorities wrote to their counterparts in Jhajjar to lodge an FIR against the firm, but the Jhajjar police did not register the FIR and sent the case back, pleading that since the passes were issued online, and also used for benefiting units in Yamunanagar, action should be taken by the Yamunanagar authorities.

Taking a serious note of it, the state geology department has now asked the Jhajjar SP to direct the SHO concerned to register a case against the firm, intimating that e-Ravaanas were issued by the firm by using the portal in Bahadurgarh (Jhajjar), hence the place of occurrence is Bahadurgarh.

“In a similar case, the Badhra police station in Charkhi Dadri had, on February 10, registered a case under Sections 120B, 420, 467, 468 and 471, IPC, on the complaint of the Mining Officer, Charkhi Dadri, after he was advised for the same by the Yamunanagar authorities in the offence of similar illegal trading,” stated the communique sent to the Jhajjar SP on May 19.

Jurisdiction issue

• The case had surfaced last month, but the Jhajjar police took no action, stating that beneficiaries belonged to Yamunanagar
• The Geology Department has now asked the Jhajjar SP to direct the SHO concerned to register a case against the firm since the e-Ravaanas were issued by using the portal in Bahadurgarh (Jhajjar), hence the place of occurrence is Bahadurgarh