10 vehicles seized, attackers escaped from scene
Jammu: A group of people allegedly involved in illegal sand mining pelted stones at a team of police and mining department officials in the heart of Jammu city on Tuesday, officials said
The attackers later fled from the spot, leaving behind their tractors and other vehicles, which were seized.
Acting on complaints of alleged massive illegal mining in the river Tawi by members of the Gujjar community, a team of mining officials and police rushed to the spot and tried to stop their activities, officials said.
However, the tribals resisted the move, with more of their community members rushing to the spot and attacking the police and mining officials, they alleged.
“Over 60 to 70 people attacked the team when we had come here to stop the illegal mining. They resorted to massive stone pelting and we narrowly escaped,” District Mining Officer (DMO) of Jammu Virender Singh told reporters here.
He said some police vehicles suffered damage in the stone pelting. Additional forces were rushed to the spot, and the attackers escaped from the scene, he said.
“We have identified the people who belonged to SOS and other areas. We have seized ten tractors and some vehicles involved in the illegal mining,” he said.
All those involved will be arrested as this is the third attack during the anti-illegal mining drive, he said, adding even children of “ten to fifteen years of age arrived here to attack us by resorting to stone pelting”.
The stone pelting by tribals continued for over an hour, threatening the passing traffic on the busy roads around the area, the officials claimed.
The police said that those involved in the stone pelting will be brought to book. A crackdown has been launched to apprehend them, they said.
Locals who assembled at the spot expressed grave concern over the illegal mining and attack on the police.
They demanded stern action against the accused, alleging that they are involved in “land grabbing and illegal constructions” in the Niki Tawi and SOS areas of the city.
