Illegal mining network busted in Chakki belt

In a pre-dawn operation, the Nurpur district police launched a major crackdown on the illegal mining mafia active along the Chakki rivulet under the Damtal police station jurisdiction. Acting on a tip-off, a police team swooped down on the rivulet area around 2 am, seizing five JCB machines and four tippers engaged in illegal extraction of minerals from the riverbed.

Nine individuals were arrested during the raid. They were identified as Naresh Singh of Mazra village (Indora), Vicky of Orissa, Sunil Kumar of Jharkhand, Joginder Singh of Kalgarh (Punjab), Sunil Kumar of Kharar-Mohtali (Indora), Harjinder Singh of Mazra (Indora), Pawan Kumar and Suveg Singh of Dhangu Road (Pathankot) and Jaswant Singh of Ghandran (Pathankot).

Superintendent of Police Ashok Ratan said cases have been registered under Sections 302(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 21(1) of the Mines and Minerals Act. He added that investigations are underway to determine whether the arrested persons and seized machinery are linked to any stone crusher units. If such connections are proven, police will recommend cancellation of their Permanent Registration Numbers to the state industries department.

Since January, the Nurpur police have registered 22 FIRs against illegal miners, seized 43 machines and challaned 188 vehicles under the Mines and Minerals Act—signalling a sustained crackdown on the region’s rampant mining network.