The day after: CM says penalty too low to deter illegal mining

Residents of villages near the riverbed claimed that illegal removal of sand had been on for some time now. Some said they had been threatened and children beaten by cartel members.

“These people become active in the dry months,post-April. They bring trucks around 12.30 or 1 at night. They leave around 3.30 or 4 in the morning. The villagers are warned not to go near the river at night. Many a time,our children have gone to the river at night and have been beaten up. The trucks go towards Delhi,” said Nazeem Khan,a resident of one of the villages.

Constable Mahavir Singh (46) was killed when a truck loaded with sand broke police barricades,and ran him over on Monday.

The truck driver,Pappu,was arrested. He told police that his employer Rajpal Chouhan,who was following the truck in a Santro,had told him over the cellphone not to stop at the barricade.

The truck was being chased by a PCR van,which had alerted the personnel at Palla Chowk to put up the barricade. Chouhan is still on the run.

Police said the sand is sold to construction agencies in Delhi.

“We have four teams looking for Chouhan — one has gone to his hometown in Alwar,two are working in Faridabad and a fourth has been sent to Delhi. His photograph has been sent to police stations across the state,” the officer said.

Chief Minister Hooda announced ex-gratia compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the next of kin of constable Singh. DGP Ranjiv Dalal has also promised a job for a member of Singh’s family.