Illegal mining: 3 held for assaulting forest staff in Mullanpur
Mohali, August 25
The police have arrested three persons for assaulting employees of the Forest Department after they were caught transporting illegally mined sand in Mullanpur on the intervening night of August 23 and 24.
The suspects have been identified as tractor owner Sucha Singh, his son Aman and his friend Sukhwinder.
Mullanpur police station SHO Satinder Singh said the main suspects had been arrested, while raids were being conducted to nab other unidentified suspects.
Despite heavy security arrangements for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mullanpur on Wednesday afternoon, sand miners allegedly assaulted a forest guard and field staff, who caught them transporting illegally mined sand on a tractor-trailer at Perch village. Field staff Nirmal Singh suffered serious injuries in the face, back, arms and hands, while forest guard Vipandeep Kaur was manhandled and subjected to abuses.
The Forest Range Officer, in a complaint to the police, claimed Vipandeep, along with field staff Nirmal and Ramesh, was on patrol duty at Perch village on Tuesday night, when the team spotted a tractor-trailer laden with illegally mined sand. As they intercepted the vehicle, tractors owner Sucha Singh, along with his son Aman, his friend Sukhwinder and some other men reached the spot.
When the forest guard told them the vehicle would be impounded, they allegedly attacked the field staff, injuring them seriously. They also manhandled the female forest guard and hurled abuses, before fleeing the scene with the tractor-trailer, the complaint stated. Nirmal, who suffered the most injuries, was admitted to the Civil Hospital, Kharar.
A case under Sections 379, 332, 506, 353, 186, 34 of the IPC and relevant sections of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act and Indian Forest Act had been registered against the suspects. — TNS
Caught ferrying sand illegally
- Attack occurred despite heavy security deployment on the eve of PM Narendra Modi’s Mullanpur visit
- The team of three staffers had stopped a tractor-trailer laden with illegally mined sand at Perch village
- Soon, 3 suspects with accomplices arrived, and attacked and abused the Forest Department employees
