Heat on sand mafia: SIT to probe MP cop’s death

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday ordered the constitution of a special investigation team to probe the killing of police constable Dharmendra Chouhan. A dumper carrying illegally mined sand had crushed the cop to death at Dhanela village in Morena district on Saturday night.

At a meeting attended by home minister Babulal Gaur and chief secretary Anthony de Sa, the CM directed that the SIT would complete investigation into the 40-year-old constable's death and submit its report within 15 days. The government also decided to pay a compensation of Rs 11 lakh to the bereaved family. The education of Dharmendra's children will be sponsored by the government and the family will be paid a salary for his entire service period. If the deceased's widow wants a job, she would be recruited on compassionate grounds, the CM's secretariat said.

The opposition Congress attacked the state government over the killing. AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh said the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government was emboldening the sand mafia. Dr Govind Singh, Congress MLA from Lahar in Bhind district, said: "If a policeman can be ruthlessly mowed down by the illegal sand mining mafia, what's the fate of ordinary citizens in this state?" K K Mishra, chief spokesman of the state Congress, said there was anarchy, lawlessness and mayhem in Madhya Pradesh and criminals operated without fear.

Home department officials told the CM that 6,950 cases of illegal transport of minerals had been registered and culprits had been fined Rs 14.77 crore in the past year. Fines of Rs 1.64 crore were realized in 493 cases of illegal mining and of Rs 4.35 crore in 110 cases of illegal storage of minerals.

http://ift.tt/1uYO66e Singh Chouhan,Sand mafia

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