After IPS officer’s murder, sand mining contracts cancelled in Madhya Pradesh

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The Chhattarpur district administration on Sunday cancelled all sand mining contracts in the district.

The move came after outrage over IPS officer Narendra Kumar's killing and another attack on a police team, which had gone to Ajaygarh to probe illegal mining in the area.

Sand mafia was blamed for the attack and on Sunday, the police have arrested a person in connection with the case.

Narendra Kumar Singh was crushed under wheels of a tractor-trolley driven by an alleged member of the mining mafia.

IPS officer’s wife demands SBI probe

Wife of slain IPS officer Narendra Kumar Singh has demanded a CBI probe into the incident on Sunday.

"As a wife, a family member, I would say, CBI enquiry is what I expect from my officers, my government if they can... They should actually go for a CBI enquiry. If they do that I would be more than happy, I'll be obliged," Kumar's wife Madhurani Tewatia said.

Tewatia, who is an IAS officer posted in Gwalior and is currently on maternity leave, said merely punishing the driver would not satisfy her.

"The mafia, criminals and goons should be arrested and eliminated...start from the roots, go till the end. Only showing that the driver has been arrested, slapping 302 on him, 2-3 years punishment for him, if this is what is to be done, I would say don't do it," she told a news channel.

The driver identified as Manoj Gurjar has been arrested and a case registered under section 302 (murder) of the IPC. The Madhya Pradesh government ordered a judicial probe on Friday. The Opposition Congress demanded a CBI probe, a plea rejected by the BJP-ruled government.

One held in sand mafia firing

Alleged sand mafia kingpin Kubar Singh was arrested on Sunday in connection with the firing.

"Kubar Singh has been taken into custody from the area where illegal sand mining was going on," Panna SP Anil Maheshwari said.

"The police, after taking control of the area, also removed the temporary bridge erected by the mafia for transporting sand," he said.

The sand mafia, engaged in illegal excavation, on Saturday opened fire at the team headed by Ajaygarh sub-divisional magistrate Nathuram Goud and sub divisional police officer Jagannath Singh Markam in Chandipatha, about 70-80 km from here.

The miners eventually escaped. The team found that a make-shift bridge had been constructed over River Ken for transporting the sand to neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.