A series of sting operations conducted by Delhi Police claims to have exposed illegal sand mining from government land in the capital allegedly by contractors, with the labourers supplied by an MLA and in connivance with policemen, official sources said on Sunday.
The mining has been reported from Narala, Bawana, Mehrauli and Shahbad Dairy since past few months and the sting operations conducted by city police’s Vigilance Cell have purportedly shown policemen helping in the illegal activity.
Following Joint Commissioner (Vigilance) N. Dilip Kumar’s report in this regard, police sources said, cases have been registered by crime branch against the accused policemen and others on the directions of Delhi Police Commissioner Y. S. Dadwal.
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In one of the sting operations, the sources said, a contractor was purportedly caught on camera saying an SHO was getting between Rs. 30 lakh and Rs. 40 lakh per month as bribe for turning a blind eye on their activities.
A sting operation in Narela purportedly showed a contractor claiming that an MLA was providing labourers for sand extraction. The contractor also claims in the tape that the MLA was well known to the SHO.
The sting operations were conducted in January and February this year which revealed that soil extraction was also being carried out in areas in the jurisdiction of Mehrauli and Shahbad Dairy police stations.
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According to the vigilance department report, the builder lobby illegally extracted soil from government land belonging to DDA and DSIIDC.
Most of the soil were removed at night and contractors were given free access to government land by policemen “who turned a blind eye as they were earning Rs. 10,000 each every day as shown in the sting”, they said.
Investigations also revealed that policemen used to keep vigil at the extraction sight along with goons hired by the contractor.
In one of the sting operations conducted in Narela, an unauthorised government shed was purportedly shown where JCBs and dumpers were illegally operating and did not bear vehicle registration numbers, they said.
It also came to light that the contractors charged Rs. 3,600-5,000 per truck of sand from builders.
According to a contractor who was purportedly caught on camera, night time charges were low as there were less number of policemen to bribe.
Another contractor purportedly admits that on one night he had sent 25 truck loads to a builder in Nangloi, while in another instance, a constable who tried to question these activities was threatened by policemen and the musclemen of the contractor.