Locals set fire to the dumper and 23 other trucks that were ferrying sand on that route(Screengrab)

BHOPAL: 24 trucks were set on fire by an angry mob after a 28-year-old farmer was run over by a dumper ferrying sand from Narmada river basin in Madhya Pradesh's Hoshangabad district . Police have found a charred body from the spot, which they claim, was of a youth from the same village where arson took place. Additional force has been deployed in the area.

Congress has attacked BJP government on the issue. Congress state president Kamalnath told a section of that illegal sand mining was rampant in the entire state. “Jahan nadi, wahan Khanan, jahan Khanan waha BJP k neta” (If there is a river, there is mining, and if there is mining there must be BJP leader), Kamanath said.

Krishna Kumar Yadav was pillion riding his uncle Dev Narayan Yadav on a motorcycle, on their way home, when a speeding dumper, laden with sand, hit them from behind near Gujjarwada village under Babai police station area.

The incident took place at around 11.30pm and the spot is located around 35 km from the district headquarters, said police.

Krishna Kumar got under the wheels and died on the spot, while Dev Narayan, a former sarpanch of Gujjarwada village, sustained major injuries, said police.

Infuriated over the accident, locals set fire to that dumper and 23 other trucks that were ferrying sand on that route. All drivers managed to escape. Around 18 trucks were loaded with sand, while six were heading towards the mining spot.

SHO of Babai police station, his team and fire brigade were also targeted by villagers pelting stones. One of the police vehicle was also set on fire. “Those indulging in arson and vandalism are being identified, Hosshangabad SP Arvind Saxena told TOI.

“We have rescued around 175 trucks in our over night operation. Villagers have torched 24 trucks, 18 partially,” said the officer. A charred body found from the spot has been identified as Ramesh Yadav, of Gujjarwada village. “Either he was part of the mob or must have been passing by when the trucks were set on fire. He had a skull injury which could be due to the burst of burning tyres,” said the officer. There are two sand mines in the area one is at Gujjarwada and other one at Rajon. “Trucks set on fire were ferrying sand from the Rajon mines. Most of the trucks were from Indore and Ujjain,” SP said. Riot control vehicle was also pressed into service to in wake of the situation. Additional police force has been deployed in the area in wake of the boiling situation.

In October 2017, Madhya Pradesh government had allowed sand mining rivers across the state after four months ban hoping to provide sand at cheap rates than open market and rein in the mining mafia.

The government had also decided to hand over sand mining rights to the gram panchayats, it was also stated that decision on the royalty would be taken by the panchayat itself which includes rights to engage transporters and labourers to extract sand from their own resources. A detailed feasibility report from the expert committee is awaited, said the officials.

In February 2017 Congress leader Arun Yadav had written to the prime minister Narendra Modi, urging him for a probe into alleged involvement of chief minister’s relatives in illegal sand mining.

Yadav wrote, illegal sand mining was rampant in entire state because of political protection and incidents like murder of an IPS officer and attacks on government officials were common and that majority of illegal sand mining was being carried out in home district of CM.

He had also alleged that more than 1000 dumpers full of illegal sand were being mined and transported in the area. And, those involvement have gone to the extent of building a temporary bridge on Narmada at the Joshipur-Jarrapur border of Sehore for the illegal transportation.



In Video: Trucks ferrying sand set on fire after farmer's death in MP’s Hoshangabad