Nuh (Haryana): The Haryana police on Wednesday arrested the truck driver from Rajasthan's Bharatpur district who had mowed down a Haryana DSP probing illegal mining. Sabbir, alias Mittar, is the key accused in the case. He was arrested following the questioning of Ikkar, another accused in the case who had already been arrested.
"We arrested the main accused, Sabbir, alias Mittar, from the Pahari police station area of Bharatpur in Rajasthan. The accused, who is around 30 years of age, hails from Pachgaon. He had fled to his relative's place. We are trying to nab his other accomplices," said Nuh SP Varun Singla. State Home Minister Anil Vij told the media that the truck driver was arrested from Ganghora village in Bharatpur district.
Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Anil Vij alleged that the mining mafia flourished under the previous Congress regime in the state led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda. He said the present BJP-led government in the state has launched a crackdown against the elements indulging in any illegal activity, including illegal mining. Vij said unfortunately DSP Surendra Singh lost his life in the line of duty.
At regular intervals, we keep carrying out raids and checkings and act against the elements who indulge in illegal mining, he said. "Actually, this mafia flourished during Hooda's time. It flourished because of the earlier regime's weak policies. We are observing full strictness against such elements and our DSP lost his life in the line of duty," he said. Vij said an "Operation Cleanup" is being carried out in that area. "After this, no one will dare to indulge in such activities," he said.
Also read: Haryana: DSP probing illegal mining mowed down by truck, driver injured in police encounter
Meanwhile, a second FIR was registered regarding a brief encounter between Ikkar and a police team. As per the FIR, when the police team reached near Pachgaon and found the truck parked there, Ikkar came out and fired on them. In the retaliatory fire, he received a bullet injury in his leg, according to the FIR. Soon after police arrested him and recovered a countrymade pistol and two cartridges.
According to a senior investigating officer, the seized truck was registered in the name of Jamshed, the elder brother of Sabbir. "We had raided the house of Sabbir last night. The house was found locked and all his family members were absconding," added the investigating officer.
Tauru DSP Surendra Singh probing illegal stone mining was killed Tuesday when a truck he had signaled to stop in Haryana's Nuh district drove over him. The DSP had gone to Pachgaon near Tauru to conduct raids against illegal mining in the Aravalli hills. Hours after the officer's death, police arrested truck's cleaner Ikkar after being shot at and injured during an encounter with them. (With agency inputs)
