A 25-year-old activist, who was opposing illegal mining in Greater Noida, was crushed to death by the henchmen of the sand mafia on Monday night. Sandeep, a resident of Badauli Village, who was opposing illegal sand grabbing in the region and had also exposed the nexus between the local police and the mining mafia been threatened by the goons earlier.
On Monday night, Sandeep got information about sand grabbing in an area along the Yamuna River. He rushed to the spot on his motorbike and tried to intercept some sand laden dumpers going towards the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway.However, one of the dumper trucks ran over Sandeep, killing him on the spot. Some passersby who saw the whole incident, informed the villagers and hundreds of people gathered at the spot.
Family members of Sandeep and hundreds of villagers created a stir at the Expressway and surrounded the Greater Noida police station demanding immediate arrest of the driver of the dumper, who fled after the incident.“My son was active against the mining lobby and had exposed some of the people involved in it. Although he had received death threats earlier and we asked the police for help, they failed to protect him. I demand action against the policemen who knew about the mining mafia’s plans to eliminate my son. Police are trying to convert the murder of my son into an accident case,” said Prakash, father of the deceased.
Sandeep’s murder is not the first incident involving the sand mafia. After the suspension of Durga Shakti Nagpal, a 2010 batch IAS officer by the State Government in July last year, dozens of attacks came into the limelight in various parts of the region.A few days after the national outcry over rampant sand mining, Paleram Chauhan, a 52-year-old activist was gunned down in Raipur Village as he was fighting against the land grabbers and had filed several complaints against them.
Attacks on those who oppose illegal sand mining have increased during the last one year, after suspension of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Greater Noida. The sand mafia has grown so bold now that even cops are not being spared.Dushyant Nagar, a farmers rights’ activist, said that the unholy nexus between the police, political leaders and the mining lobby is the major reason for their brazenness.
“Earlier a few leaders of the ruling party, mainly Gujjars, were involved in this business. But after succumbing to pressure by the State Government scores of Yadav leaders have also joined this illegal trade. They have captured huge tracts of land along the banks of Yamuna and Hindon Rivers and are extracting sand without any fear. The sand is being transported illegally in Western UP and Haryana under the nose of the local administration,” said Nagar.