Man crushed to death over mining rivalry in Paonta Sahib

Tension gripped the industrial town of Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur district after a long-brewing feud linked to illegal mining resulted into a shocking act of violence at Kedarpur area.

A man was brutally crushed to death under an SUV on Wednesday afternoon, exposing once again the deep-rooted influence of the mining mafia operating along the Himachal-Haryana border.

The deceased has been identified as Ashraf Ali (35), a resident of Kalesar in Yamunanagar.

The police said Ashraf had halted his dumper truck at a mechanic’s shop in Bhupur when Aashiq and Khurshid, both sons of Zahid from Kalesar, along with Aman arrived in an SUV. Without warning, they allegedly rammed their vehicle into Ashraf and then reversed it to crush him again before fleeing the spot.

Ashraf sustained grievous injuries and was rushed to the Paonta Sahib Civil Hospital. Doctors referred him to PGI, Chandigarh, but he succumbed on the way.

Two others, Amjad (28) and Israr (21), who were with Ashraf, also suffered serious injuries and are undergoing treatment at the Civil Hospital.

The police have registered a case of murder under revelant section of the BNS against the accused.

Sirmaur Superintendent of Police Nishchint Singh Negi said all three accused had been detained and were being interrogated. “Initial findings point to an old rivalry over the transportation of illegally mined material,” the SP said.

The feud traces back to a dispute over dumper truck challans in Haryana. It is believed that a complaint lodged by Ashraf’s group against the accused had fueled animosity, culminating in Wednesday’s deadly confrontation. Two months ago, the same group had attacked Ashraf and damaged his vehicle.