Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady

Beltangady, Jan 11: Beltangady police have registered a case after raiding an illegal sand mining site where sand was being extracted from the riverbank using a hitachi machine without paying royalty to the government.

Acting on specific information, the police conducted a raid on the morning of Jan 8 at Gandibagilu in Kadirudyavara village. During the raid, it was found that sand was being illegally stolen from the banks of the Netravathi river and loaded into a tipper lorry using a hitachi machine for sale.

Upon noticing the police, the driver of the tipper lorry fled the spot, abandoning the vehicle. The hitachi operator was detained and questioned, during which he identified himself as Mohammad Shameeruddin of Charmadi, and disclosed that the absconding tipper driver was H Haneef, also a resident of Charmadi.

Investigation revealed that the accused had been clandestinely indulging in sand theft from the same location for a long time, causing loss to the government exchequer. The police seized a tipper lorry loaded with sand valued at around Rs 3.50 lac and a hitachi machine worth about Rs 2.50 lac.

A case has been registered at the Beltangady police station against the accused Mohammad Shameeruddin and H Haneef, residents of Charmadi in Kakkinje village of Beltangady taluk.