Sand trader tied to cot, set afire for opposing illegal mining

ALLAHABAD: A sand trader was tied to a cot and set afire allegedly by sand smugglers after he objected to illegal mining in trans-Ganga area under Handia police station during the early hours of Thursday, police said.

The trader is undergoing treatment at a private hospital where his condition is stated to be critical, they said.

Superintendent of police, trans-Ganga, Sunil Kumar Singh said an FIR had been lodged against Brahm Dev Mishra, Munna Singh and Dharam Singh on the complaint of the victim’s wife.

“The victim’s statement has also been recorded before a magistrate and further investigations are on,” he said.

Suman Devi, a resident of Tela Bhatiyapur village of Handia, informed the police that her husband Rambabu Yadav, 35, was a sand trader and carried out his business from Tela ghat. “On the wee hours of Thursday, my husband was going to buy medicines for me when he spotted some people indulging in illegal sand mining at Tela ghat and objected to it,” Suman Devi informed the police.

She said the accused, with whom her husband had an altercation in the past too, got agitated and attacked him.

“They tied him to a cot and set him afire. Hearing his screams, residents rushed to the spot and doused the fire. He was rushed to a private hospital in Baraut from where he was referred to SRN Hospital,” she said. Later, keeping his condition in view he was admitted to a private hospital in Allahabad, police said.