Activist seeks probe into role of senior cop in illegal mining in Agra

Source:-https://www.theweek.in

A Lucknow-based activist has written to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asking for an investigation into the role of SSP of Agra Babloo Kumar in illegal mining in the district.

Activist Nutan Thakur makes the killing of a constable, Sonu Kumar Choudhary, the starting point of the complaint. On November 8, Choudhary was crushed by a truck carrying illegally mined sand. He was part of a team that had been out to nab the truck in the Khairagarh area.

Thakur has said that while the incident is being probed, she had come to know through various sources of the probable role of the SSP in enabling the illegal mining.

Agra is rife with incidents of illegal mining and in 2020 at least three incidents have occurred where the sand mafia has injured or killed members of the police force.

Thakur’s complaint goes back even further and brings attention to the killing of inspector Sanjeev Kumar during an operation to curb the mafia in June 2019. In the subsequent police report of the incident, 18 accused were named.

A month later, Kumar took charge as the district’s SSP, and the names of 15 of the accused were removed from the report. The matter remains under investigation. The CO of Khairagarh had also written to Kumar asking for a preliminary inquiry against the investigating officer to find out why the investigation was taking so long. As per Thakur’s complaint, Kumar did not respond to it.

Thakur’s complaint points to other wrongdoings too. She quotes a two-year-old incident in which the charge-sheet is yet to be submitted. Also mentioned is another incident when a constable who tried to stop a truck carrying illegally mined sand was transferred by Kumar.

Six months ago, the IG of Agra Range had sent a letter to Kumar, pointing to the illegal mining that was happening in six areas, yet no action had been taken. Similarly, the state government’s February 2020 order—that barriers fitted with artificial intelligence and latest technology would be installed at the state’s borders to prevent illegally mined sand being taken away—had not been complied with.

Thakur said, “It could be very possible that this is a posting with a political connection and hence Kumar has been shielded despite many instances of wrongdoing.”