Rajasthan: 43 FIRs registered, 26 arrests; 24,461 tonnes of illegally mined minerals seized

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Jaipur, April 10 (IANS) Aiming at enforcing a zero-tolerance policy against illegal mining, state authorities conducted 314 operations over the period from April 2 to April 8, targeting illegal mining, mineral transportation, and storage and seized 152 vehicles and machinery, an official said.

The official further added that more than 24,461 tonnes of illegally stored minerals were confiscated across the state.

“Additionally, 43 FIRs were registered and 26 arrests were made, underscoring the state’s commitment to cracking down on these unlawful activities,” the official said.

Meanwhile, Principal Secretary of the Mines Department, T. Ravikant, said that the rigorous enforcement actions are in strict accordance with the government’s policy to combat illegal mining.

Additional Director Vigilance, PR Ameta, has been designated as the nodal officer at the headquarters level to ensure streamlined efforts across all regions.

In Beawar, Mining Engineer Jagdish Mehrawat led operations that resulted in the seizure of a record 7,513 tonnes of illegally stored minerals, with nine operations imposing a total fine of Rs 92.16 lakh.

In Udaipur, the efforts were equally intense, and ME Asif Ansari’s team conducted 30 actions, while another unit under the guidance of Additional Director Mahesh Mathur executed 66 operations, seizing 1,729.99 tonnes of minerals, registering 10 FIRs, making 8 arrests, and confiscating 18 vehicles.

A parallel team under Additional Director Yogendra Singh Sahwal and Devendra Gaud also made significant progress, and got 10 FIRs registered, five accused were arrested, and 52 vehicles and pieces of machinery were seized, alongside a substantial recovery of fines.

Bhilwara saw 39 operations conducted by a team comprising officers from Bhilwara, Bijolia, Chittor, and Nimbahera, resulting in the seizure of 938 tonnes of minerals, with fines imposed at Rs 30.53 lakh and Rs 34.35 lakh recovered.

In Kota, senior officer Avinash Kuldeep oversaw 30 operations, during which 7,343 tonnes of minerals were seized, fines exceeding Rs 107 lakh were imposed, and more than Rs 21 lakh was recovered.

In Jaipur, under the leadership of senior officer NS Shaktiwat, 24 operations were completed, resulting in the seizure of 519 tonnes of minerals, with fines of Rs 15.43 lakh imposed and Rs 13.50 lakh recovered.

Additional operations in Jaipur under Vigilance officer Pratap Meena involved seven actions that led to the recovery of fines amounting to Rs 5.75 lakh.

Meanwhile, in Ajmer, SME Jai Gurubakhsani directed 25 operations, seizing 8,160 tonnes of minerals and imposing fines exceeding Rs 99 lakh while recovering over Rs 7 lakh along with the seizure of 20 vehicles.

An official said that teams in Bikaner, Bharatpur, and Rajsamand also played important roles in the statewide crackdown, adding that notably, a joint operation involving Jaipur and Alwar teams showcased a targeted approach in curbing illegal activities.

He said that the robust actions taken over the past week reflect the state’s unwavering commitment to halting illegal mining operations and protecting its natural resources.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely and aim to reinforce strict adherence to mining regulations across all regions, said officials.

–IANS

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Rajouri Day: J&K L-G pays tributes to Bravehearts

Jammu, April 13, (IANS) On the occasion of ‘Rajouri Day’, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Manoj Sinha paid tributes to the Indian Army’s and civilian Bravehearts who laid down their lives for the liberation of Rajouri on this day in 1948.

Attending a commemoration event at Rajouri, the Lieutenant Governor, along with Lieutenant General MV Suchindra Kumar, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command; Lieutenant General PK Mishra, GOC, White Knight Corps; army veterans, public representatives and senior officials of Security Forces, J&K Police and civil administrations, honoured the sacrifices of all the valiant soldiers and civilians.

“The supreme courage and gallantry of our soldiers will be remembered forever for their indomitable courage, dedication to duty and undying love for the motherland. Exemplary devotion to duty and self-sacrifices of soldiers have always protected us in the past, and their commitment to the nation’s integrity and sovereignty will continue to do so in the future. The nation is grateful to the real heroes for the invaluable sacrifices they have made,” he said.

He also emphasised that the legacy of courage of Lieutenant Ram Raghoba Rane, Brigadier Mohammad Usman, and all those brave civilians and soldiers who stood tall against the enemy etched into the soil of Rajouri will continue to inspire the generations.

“This land of Rajouri is a witness to the resolve of our Bravehearts’ minds and the perfection of their action. This is also an occasion to imbibe the life values of all those heroes who sacrificed their lives to protect the citizens. Today’s occasion is also to inculcate in the minds of the youth of the new generation the values of those brave men who bravely faced the crisis that befell Rajouri,” he said.

He also highlighted that ‘Rajouri Day’ is a symbol of the invincible strength of the Indian Army, and it reminds us that we will never allow our unity and cultural flow to be fragmented.

“Guru Gobind Singh Ji had established Khalsa Panth on this day. His immortal teachings are constantly guiding our brave soldiers. His philosophy and values shape brave soldiers of the Indian Army and inspire them to renunciation, dedication, valour and sacrifice,” he said.

He further called upon all the sections of society to identify and isolate the elements trying to disrupt peace and development.

Emphasising the need for unifying efforts against terrorism, the L-G called upon all sections of society to identify and isolate divisive forces and join the fight against the terror ecosystem.

“Today we need to be more vigilant. The enemy is continuously trying to disturb our peace by sending terrorists. Indian Army, Central Armed Police Forces and Jammu and Kashmir Police, along with the public, should work together to completely eliminate the terrorists and their sympathisers. Our collective strength will successfully neutralise terrorism and enemy threats and, paving the way for peace and development,” he said.

A special postal cover commemorating the 77 glorious years of liberation of Rajouri was released on the occasion.

Motorcycle acrobatic display and cultural pageantry based on the different themes demonstrated the prowess of the Security forces and the Jammu Kashmir Police.

–IANS

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Youth shoots girl to death before killing self in Patna

Patna, March 28 (IANS) In a shocking incident, a youth allegedly shot dead a girl and then committed suicide by shooting himself in Patna’s Digha Ghat near Marine Drive on Friday.

Sweety Sehrawat, the City SP (Central), confirmed the incident. She suspects that the incident took place due to a love affair.

Hearing the noise of gunshots, the locals gathered at the scene and immediately informed the Digha Police Station.

Sehrawat said, “We have recovered the dead bodies of the deceased and sent them to post-mortem in Patna Medical College and Hospital. We have seized a bag belonging to the youth.”

On the basis of the identity card found in the bag, the deceased is identified as Rahul Kumar, a resident of Madhubani district.

The girl has been identified as Surabhi Kumari. Sweety Sahrawat, who visited the crime spot, confirmed that the case appears to be linked to a love affair.

“Both individuals knew each other previously,” she said.

The exact reason behind the incident is still under investigation. The family of Rahul Kumar has been informed.

“We have called forensic experts and the dog squad to examine the crime scene for additional evidence. We have recovered a pistol and two dead cartridges from the crime scene,” Sehrawat said.

The police are investigating all possible angles, including scanning their mobile phones to establish the possible reasons apart from the sequence of events that led to the incident.

This incident was a replication of the incident in Arrah railway station when a jilted lover shot a girl and her father on March 25.

The accused, identified as Akash Kumar, a resident of Udwant Nagar village in Bhojpur district, shot the girl from very close range. When her father tried to save her, he also shot him and committed suicide by shooting in his temple. All three lost their lives at the crime scene.

The deceased have been identified as Ayushi Kumari and her father, Anil Kumar.

–IANS

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Punjab building collapse: NDRF, Army continue rescue operation

Chandigarh, Dec 22 (IANS) Rescuers involving the National Disaster Management Force (NDRF) and the Indian Army on Sunday began the operation on the second day as three people were believed to be trapped in the debris of a four-storey collapsed building in Punjab’s Mohali town. A 20-year-old woman from Himachal Pradesh has died in the incident.

According to NDRF officials, five people were buried under the debris when the structure of a gym collapsed owing to digging in an adjacent building’s basement in Sector 77, officials said.

Drishti Verma, 20, a resident of Theog in Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla district, was pulled out by rescuers and later succumbed to her injuries at a hospital, said Viraj S. Tidke, officiating Deputy Commissioner.

The police have booked the building owners — Parwinder Singh and Gagandeep Singh — under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Pareek told the media.

One column of the Indian Army with specialist engineering equipment has been deployed since 7.30 p.m. on Saturday. The Western Command said the Indian Army reacted swiftly to the rescue. In a remarkable display of coordinated efforts, the Army columns along with the NDRF and the state rescue teams have been relentlessly working to address the crisis. The Engineer Task Force with debris clearance machine and JCBs are operational at the site. Top debris was removed and efforts are being made to reach the basement.

The officiating Deputy Commissioner said as soon as the disaster was reported in the evening, district officials rushed to the spot and started the rescue operation with the help of locals and other departments. He said Senior Superintendent of Police Pareek was also among the first officers who arrived at the site and took the initiative to ensure the start of rescue efforts.

Tidke said the district administration sent a message to the National Disaster Response Force based at Pinjore and in addition intimation to the Western Command of the Indian Army to augment the rescue operation with the NDRF. He said the district administration has been putting all efforts to rescue every single person who has been trapped in the debris. The round-the-clock operation will continue till the rescue of all people.

He said all requisite equipment and machinery have also been made available.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has spoken with the district administration about the ongoing rescue works and has directed us to make all possible efforts to rescue the victims. Also, Member of Parliament Malvinder Singh Kang and local MLA Kulwant Singh were present at the site on Saturday to oversee the rescue work.

Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav also took stock of the rescue work and directed the local police to ensure the safety of the victims at all costs.

Deputy Commissioner Aashika Jain said the rescue work would continue till the safe return of all victims and duty magistrates Tehsildar Arjun Singh Grewal and Navpreet Singh Shergill have been deputed to assist the rescue teams and the police.

–IANS

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