Two drivers booked for ‘illegal’ sand mining

One of the tippers seized by police in Sector 53, Chandigarh, on Wednesday. (Source: Express photo by Sahil Walia)

In the last three days, the UT Police has booked the drivers of two tippers, who were allegedly illegally mining near the Sector 53 gurdwara. One of the cases was reported late on Tuesday night when the accused driver escaped from the spot leaving behind the labourer who had been hired to fill the tipper with sand.

Sub-Inspector (S-I) Ram Rattan, the in-charge of the Sector 61 police post, said the owners of the two tippers, Pal Singh and Surinder Singh, were arrested on Wednesday evening. The two will be produced in the court on Thursday. “The accused had been stealing the sand and selling it in Kajheri village for the last few years,” added the S-I.

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The Station House Officer of Sector 36 police station, Inspector Ram Dayal, said, “We have registered a case of theft and trespass on a government land. We have also sought assistance from our legal arm if the accused can be booked under the provisions of the Mines and Minerals (development and regulation) Act. We are yet to receive a reply on the same.”

The accused are residents of Kajheri village, while the labourer, Romesh, has been made a witness in the case, said police.