Soon after a nexus between a section of the police and unauthorised mining operators was exposed in Raipur area on Tuesday morning, Dehradun SSP Nivedita Kukreti suspended four police personnel, including the police station in-charge Raipur Pradeep Chauhan.
The step followed after the police personnel were caught facilitating unauthorised mining activities. Other three policemen suspended thus are sub-inspector Shahad Singh and constables Mohit Sharma and Preetam Bangari. She said that illegal mining activities were being carried out at around 8 am under the protection of local police.
Earlier, police received tip- off of rampant illegal mining activities going on in the riverbed areas of Raipur. SSP formed a team led by SP City PK Rai to conduct surprise inspection and submit a report at the earliest. Subsequently, the team conducted a surprise inspection at around 8 am at the illegal mining sites in Raipur and found illegal mining activities going on in full swing there. A dumper and JCB machine used in illegal mining activities were impounded. After the raid was over, Rai submitted a report to Dehradun SSP following which four police personnel were suspended.
SSP Kukreti warned all the police station officers and police personnel against facilitating illegal mining operators. She said that they too would face the same consequences if they are found doing the same.
However, this is not the first time that some police personnel were suspended for their alleged involvement in facilitating illegal mining activities. “It is sad that despite several policemen being suspended for the same, things are still continuing. This is resulting in the state losing revenue to the tune of crore of rupees,” says an observer.
Mention worthy, the previous Congress-helmed state government had formed illegal mining prevention vigilance unit (IMPVU) to take on the increasing illegal mining activities in the state. The unit had taken actions in form of seizing stone crushers and trucks loaded with illegally mined minerals. However, such actions had failed to stamp out the menace. IMPVU still exists but it is failing to rise up to the challenge it has been entrusted with, say the observers.