Despite plaints, Ropar cops ‘act soft’ on illegal mining accused; SSP says not in his notice

At least on three occasions since April, the Ropar police have either failed to register a complaint or name any person in illegal quarrying cases despite Mining Department officials identifying the accused, according to documents available with The Tribune.

The complaints were filed following raids on multiple locations along the Sutlej.

However, Ropar SSP Gulneet Singh Khuranna said the issue was not in his notice. The SSP assured that he would look into the matter and take appropriate action, if anyone found guilty.

Deputy Commissioner Varjeet Singh Walia did not respond to repeated phone calls for a comment.

Meanwhile, a senior department official hinted at the involvement of senior police officials in some cases.

“Despite risking our lives by conducting raids to check illegal mining in the night hours, FIRs were not registered by the police,” the official said.

Earlier too, in a report published in these columns on July 20, The Tribune had highlighted that a case was registered with the delay of a month in a similar instance at Bhangla village in Nangal.

According to documents, the Mining Department had filed a complaint with the police on July 13 after officials raided Motia Stone Crusher in Anandpur Sahib’s Agampur village. The raid was led by the Anandpur Sahib SDM.

The complaint said those present at the stone crusher could not produce any papers to show from where the material was mined. Officials demanded the registration of a case under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.

However, till date, no FIR has been registered.

The SSP said the FIR in the case had not been registered as the complaint was referred back to the Mining Department with some queries.

In another case on the same date, a location was raided at Algran village in Nangal.

The raiding party accused owners of the Aman Curshing plant of illegal mining.

However, the quantum of mined material could not be ascertained as the raid was conducted in pitch of night.

Mining officials demanded the registration of a case under the same Act against the accused. The police registered the FIR the next day against unknown people despite mining officials naming the accused in their complaint.

On April 30, a Mining Department team led by the Nangal SDM detected illegal mining along the Sutlej in night hours.

The case in the matter was registered by the police after more than a month on June 4. However, the FIR was registered against unknown people.

Punjab