Sand mafia try to run over talathis in Umarkhed

Yavatmal: The sand mafia operating in Umarkhed tehsil of Yavatma on Sunday night tried to run over with a tractor talathis who had intercepted their operation. The tractor was transporting illegally mined sand from the Painganga river between Brahmangaon and Kopra, about 17 kms south of Brahmangaon at village Mankeshwar. Talathis, who are revenue department officials, attempted to stop it but the tractor driver, instead of stopping, tried to run them over.Three talathis sustained injuries but tractor driver and labourers accompanying the vehicle managed to flee.
Later, one of the injured talathis Prakash Marotrao Kanade of Umarkhed tehsil lodged a complaint at the Umarkhed police. The police have registered an offence against the driver Nayan Gangadhar Kuddhalwad (40), a resident of village Brahmangaon under Sections 353, 332, 379 and 34 of IPC and launched a manhunt. No arrest was made in this respect so far.
According to the tehsildar S N Shejal of Umarkhed, he has received a number of complaints about the illegal mining and transportation of sand from the Painganga. Accordingly a special squad was formed having talathis Gajanan Sureshe, Prakash Mane, J J Khandelwal, S R Thorve and Prakash Kanade to investigate the matter.
On Sunday night, they received a tip off about illegal mining of sand and they rushed to the village Mankeshwar to intercept. The murderous tractor driver left Kanade, Khandelwal and Thorve injured. Their cries for help brought people in the vicinity to the spot. By then the tractor driver and his accomplices had escaped.
District president of Talathi Sanghatana Gajanan Sureshe has alleged talathis were not being provided with police protection when going for a raid.
The local residents have alleged a nexus between the sand mafias and revenue officials that made the former so powerful. “Even talathis are not safe in the home town of the revenue minister, which is deplorable,” said a Sanghtana office bearer in Yavatmal on Monday.