Madhya Pradesh: SDO Shraddha Pandre, Other Forest Dept Officials Attacked By Stone Mafia

Subdivisional officer Shraddha Pandre and other forest department officials on night patrol in the Chambal area of Madhya Pradesh were attacked by stone and sand mafia, reports said Wednesday. The team was reportedly stationed at checkpoints when mafia members emptied a trolley full of stones on the road to block it. The patrol party escaped majorly unharmed and a police complaint has been filed, as per Pandre.

Stone and sand mining is banned in Chambal for the damage it causes the wildlife and ecosystem, but illegal activities continue unbridled. The attack against the forest department on Wednesday night was reportedly the third one in recent months, as per Times of India.

The vehicle carrying mined stones did not stop at the checkpoint, emptying its contents instead on the road to hamper action. Some reports also claim the sanctuary officials were surrounded by numerous mafia members pelting sticks at them, allegedly leaving one officer injured.

Not The First Attack On Shraddha Pandre, Other Dept Officers In Chambal

"The driver maneuvered the vehicle dexterously or we would have met with a serious accident," Pandre said on her team's escape from the attack. She further alleged the local police at Deogarh did not take their calls and suggested they worked in tandem with the villagers. Quoting locals, she said police in the area took bribes to let illegal activities continue.

There have been several instances of illegal sand mining activities causing severe accidents. Among the most notable was the death of IPS officer Narendra Kumar in 2012. The issue of mining and corruption came to national prominence after Kumar was reportedly run over by a truck carrying illegally mined stones in Madhya Pradesh.

In 2017, Chennai-based journalist Sandhya Ravishankar wrote a four-part report on illegal sand mining in Tamil Nadu, which prompted wide backlash against her, including calls for her arrest. "These are very typical ways of intimidation but I am not afraid," she had said then, standing unmoved from her stance of environmental exploitation in the state.