2 youths attacked by mining mafia in Nalagarh village

Solan, August 31

Two youths were severely injured when they were attacked by mining mafia as they tried to stop illegal mining near a cremation ground at Bir Plassi village in Nalagarh on Thursday night.

According to the first information report (FIR) registered yesterday, a villager, Devinder, received a call around 11.13 pm on Thursday that illegal mining was going on near the cremation ground at Bir Plassi village. He, along with seven villagers, reached the spot and saw a tipper and an excavator indulging in mining.

Though the villagers tried to stop the tipper filled with quarry material, the driver sped away. They, however, stopped the excavator operator who told them that one Vijay Kumar of Duntali village had directed them to take the machine to Bir Plassi. At that time one Paramjeet, a resident of Vela Mandir village, came there in a Fortuner car. An altercation ensued as he questioned the villagers on stopping the work. The villagers alleged that Paramjeet called 15 youths armed with cudgels and sharp weapons. They allegedly attacked the villagers amd threatened to use arms.

The miscreants beat up Sanjiv and Devinder and fled with excavation machine. The villagers found a mobile phone on the spot and handed it over to the police.

The injured youths were taken to Community Health Centre, Nalagarh. A case for wrongful restraint, criminal intimidation, rioting, unlawful assembly and causing hurt has been registered at Nalagarh. A probe was under way, a police officer said.