2 SPs among 17 suspended

PATNA: In a major crackdown on illegal sand mining in Bihar, 17 officials, including two Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, were suspended Tuesday, according to two separate notifications issued by the state’s general administration department and the home department.

The two IPS officers suspended are former Aurangabad superintendent of police (SP) Sudhir Kumar Podika and former Bhojpur SP Rakesh Kumar Dubey.

Others police officers suspended are subdivisional police officer (Dehri) Sunil Kumar

Singh, Paliganj deputy SP Tanvir Ahmad, Sadar DSP (Aurangabad) Anup Kumar, DSP (Ara) Pankaj Rawat and DSP (Dehri) Sanjay Kumar.

The suspended administrative officials are Koilwar circle officer Anup Kumar, Paliganj circle officer Rakesh Kumar and Barun circle officer Basant Ray, besides a motor vehicle inspector and six officials ff mines and geology department.

Sand mining in Bihar is banned since May 1, 2021, when the company that had won mining rights for major quarries fled the scene, citing losses.

However, illegal sand mining remains a thriving business in major riverine areas, officials said.

On July 9, state’s home department wrote to Bihar Police’s Economic Offences Unit (EoU), requesting a probe against the suspect government officials.

In its probe, officials said, EoU found that the mining mafia has started sophisticated technology to carry out their illegal operations. During a recent crackdown in Sone river in Patna district, police seized high-tech boats fitted with dredging equipment.

EOU has also started gathering details of assets allegedly amassed by over 42 officers, including the 17 who has been suspended on Tuesday, with the connivance of illegal sand mining mafia in the state.