Contractor among 3 booked for illegal mining in Phillaur

MINING DEPARTMENT FOUND THAT SAND WAS BEING EXTRACTED FROM THE AREAS WHICH WERE NOT ALLOTTED TO THE CONTRACTOR

PHILLAUR :Jalandhar police have booked mining contractor and his two workers for illegal mining at unapproved site and making fake weighing slips in Phillaur subdivision of the district on Saturday.

The accused have been identified as contractor of Salkiana mining quarry Sham Sundar Arora from Amritsar and his two workers Yadwinder Singh and Gurjant Singh.

A case has been registered under Section 21 of the Mining Act and 379 (theft), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged) of the IPC.

HT accessed a copy of the FIR which states that during the raid, mining department found that sand was being extracted from the areas which were not allotted to the contractor. Fake weighing slips with forged stamps were recovered from the possession of those arrested. These were not issued by any department, FIR mentioned.

As per the information, a team of Phillaur police and mining department led by mining inspector Sukhpal Singh, acting on the complaints of local residents, conducted a raid at a government-approved Salkiana mining quarry on Friday

They found out that illegal mining was taking place at the site along with two trucks and two tractor-trolleys with sand.

Mining inspector Sukhpal Singh said that team found fake weighing slips from the drivers while contractor’s aides were found at unapproved mining sites.

Mining inspector said they inspected the mining site on Saturday to excess exact loss so it could be recovered from the contractor.

He said mining work was stopped on Saturday at Salkiana quarry and case has been forwarded to senior officers for further course of action.

Inquiry officer and assistant sub-inspector Jang Bhahdur Singh said that a case has been registered on the basis of recommendation by mining department and no arrest has been made so far.

“We have booked official contractors of the quarry and will ask them to join the investigation,” he said.

Earlier in May, Phillaur police and mining department had seized three excavators being illegally used at the Salkiana quarry but no action was initiated against the contractor of the site.