The ban imposed on ‘bajri’ (riverbed sand) mining in Rajasthan took an ugly turn with the sand mafia allegedly beating a 50-year-old sarpanch to death in Sawai Madhopur district on Thursday.
Raghuveer Singh Meena, sarpanch of Hathdoli village, was killed when he went to the Bouli area to check loading of sand illegally dug out of the Banas river.
His body was cremated in his native village on Friday. Police registered a case of murder against 21 persons, including nine accused.
People involved in illegal sand mining, armed with sticks and stones, attacked Mr. Meena, who was accompanied by a team of Mining Department and a few policemen. The accused hurled stones on the officials when they entered the land in Hindpura village and forced them to retreat.
‘Bled to death’
In the melee, Mr. Meena was injured by a stone and fell on the ground. The assailants fled and a profusely bleeding Sarpanch was rushed to a hospital in Sawai Madhopur. He was later referred to Jaipur, but he succumbed to his injuries.
