Mining Mafia Attacks DMO’s Team During Night Operation, Vehicle Damaged, Driver Injured
Jammu, 04-10-2024: In a brazen act of defiance, members of an illegal mining mafia launched a violent attack on a joint team of the Department of Geology and Mining (G&M) and local police near the fourth bridge on the Tawi River in Jammu. The incident occurred during a midnight operation aimed at curbing illegal mining activity, which has persisted despite a High Court-imposed ban.
Acting on credible information about unlawful sand and gravel extraction in the river, District Mineral Officer (DMO) Virender Singh led a team, accompanied by police personnel, to intercept the miners. The High Court of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh had previously prohibited all mining operations in the Tawi River downstream of the Sidhra Bypass bridge. However, as the team arrived at the scene around 11:30 PM, they encountered 4-5 tractor trolleys loaded with illegally mined materials.
What began as a planned raid quickly escalated into chaos. According to official sources, a group of 15-20 individuals involved in the illegal mining immediately began hurling stones at the team. Within minutes, reinforcements arrived for the mafia, swelling the number of attackers to nearly three dozen, leading to heavy stone pelting aimed at the police and G&M officials.
The joint team, caught off guard by the sudden and violent reaction, was forced to retreat. DMO Singh’s Bolero vehicle was heavily damaged, with the windshield, side windows, and lights shattered by the pelting. His driver, Manjit Kumar, sustained injuries in the attack. Fortunately, Singh and his team narrowly escaped unharmed, but the attackers managed to flee the scene with the tractor trolleys under cover of darkness.
In the aftermath of the assault, DMO Singh expressed his concerns over the apparent readiness of the mining mafia for the attack, suggesting the possibility of a tip-off. “It seems the illegal miners were already prepared. As soon as we arrived, they quickly mobilized reinforcements and launched their attack,” Singh stated. He added that while the police accompanied the operation, they were ill-equipped for such an encounter, lacking sufficient arms to defend themselves against the mob.
An FIR has since been lodged at the Nawabad Police Station, and the case has been reported to senior officials, including the Director of Geology and Mining, and the SSP of Jammu. However, Singh noted that despite repeated warnings from the High Court, the illegal mining mafia continues to operate with impunity, exploiting the cover of darkness for their activities.
This incident underscores the growing challenge of enforcing the ban on illegal mining in the Tawi River. While the authorities have stepped up operations, the mining mafia appears increasingly emboldened, posing a serious threat to law enforcement personnel and public officials alike. Despite a judicial mandate to curb these activities, the mafia’s violent response reflects a deeper systemic issue that demands swift and decisive action from the higher authorities.
The attack highlights the urgent need for better coordination and stronger enforcement mechanisms to combat illegal mining, which not only causes environmental damage but also undermines the rule of law. The G&M department has urged higher authorities to take immediate and strict action to prevent such incidents in the future, and to ensure that the police are adequately prepared for potential threats during similar operations.
