Authorities in Thane district, Maharashtra, have intensified their crackdown on illegal sand mining, destroying equipment worth approximately 9 million in the Bhiwandi taluka.
A highly placed source in the know of content of the draft report prepared by the three-member panel told PTI that the ministry team has secured evidence to establish the fact that illegal sand mining is happening in the Uttar Pradesh district.
The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday reluctantly admitted before the National Green Tribunal that illegal sand mining was going on in the state and not even a single environmental clearance had been granted for it in Gautam Budh Nagar district.
A 24-year-old man was killed and his father, a Right to Information activist, was grievously injured after a man accused of illegal sand mining allegedly rammed their scooter with his SUV in Gujarat's Kutch district.
The ED, which is probing 'illegal' sand mining under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act apprised the court that it is in possession of credible scientific evidence.
The ED action, sources said, has been initiated after taking cognisance of a 2018 FIR of the Punjab Police against some companies and individuals alleged to be involved in illegal sand mining in the state.
Two persons have been arrested in connection with the incident which took place on the intervening night of Saturday-Sunday in Badoli village under Beohari police station limits, 90 km from the district headquarters, Superintendent of Police Kumar Prateek told PTI.
A person was arrested on Sunday in connection with a case of firing on a police team, which had gone to Ajaygarh to probe illegal mining in the area, by the sand mafia, the police said.
ED officials said that Subhash was produced before a special PMLA court on Sunday morning and was sent to judicial custody.
A patwari, a local revenue department official, was crushed to death by a tractor-trolley used for transporting sand illegally in Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh, police said on Sunday.
Channi's nephew Bhupinder Singh alias Honey was arrested in this case by the agency.
More than legal and illegal mining of sand, the issue which stares us in the face is sustainable sand mining, says Gopal Krishna
The SC bench agreed to hear the pleas of Shashikant Goyal and Amarkant Singh Chouhan, and issued notices to Madhya Pradesh and the NCT of Delhi for their responses and posted the matter on June 9.
Police officials had erected a checkpost near Hullur village to curb illegal sand mining activities, and when Chauhan tried to check the tractor, its driver ran the vehicle over him and escaped, officials said.
Actor-politician Vijay, founder of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, is set to resume his political campaign on Sunday in Kanchipuram district. He will address people at an indoor facility, with arrangements made for a smooth event. Approximately 1,500 people with QR-coded passes will be allowed entry, and security measures are in place.
A man-made forest created by Padma Shri awardee Jadav Payeng, known as 'Forest Man of India', was substantially damaged after miscreants set it on fire. An investigation has been ordered.
The top court said a balanced approach of sustainable development ensuring environmental safeguards needs to be resorted to while dealing with the issue of sand mining.
Two days after the sand mining mafia attacked a police team in Panna district, Madhya Pradesh government on Monday removed a police station incharge for allegedly abetting the illegal activity.
Close on the heels of the murder of an IPS officer by an alleged mining mafia, unidentified men on Saturday opened fire at police team which had gone to Ajaygarh to probe illegal mining in the area, said the police. After receiving reports on illegal sand mining in Ajaygarh, 40 km from Panna, a team led by Sub Divisional Officer of Police J S Markam went to spot to check out the facts, said the police. According to the police, the illegal miners opened fire on the police.
What Subedaar lacks is that element of surprise that makes a film worth the viewer's time and willingness to engage, observes Deepa Gahlot.
The demand for minerals, boulders and sand is so great that it has fueled a black market and the goons who control this trade do not hesitate to kill law enforcement officers and reporters who have tried to expose them.
The petition alleged that "illegal mining" was being carried out by Singh, the MP from Kaiserganj, in Majharath, Jaitpur and Nawabganj villages of Tarbganj tehsil in the district.
The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday alleged that Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader and Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy issued "illegal" red sand mining licenses to his MP son, relatives and some benami holders, and that huge amount of "hawala" funds generated from this mining business was used to purchase companies abroad.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut accuses Ajit Pawar of protecting 'thieves' after a video surfaces showing Pawar allegedly chiding an IPS officer for taking action against illegal excavation. Raut demands Pawar's resignation.
Experts believe the surge in illegal mining is due to vested interests of politicians
The ED on Wednesday said it has seized cash amounting to over Rs 10 crore, including about Rs 8 crore from a relative of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, during raids conducted in connection with an anti-money laundering investigation against illegal sand-mining operations in the poll-bound state.
Karnataka Lokayukta Police on Tuesday raided the premises of former minister and mining baron Janardhan Reddy in Bellary for alleged illegal mining and possession of disproportionate assets.
Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party on Wednesday named former vice chief of army staff, Lieutenant General Krishna Singh, as its candidate for the bypoll to Tarari assembly seat in Bihar.
Amid uproar over suspension of a woman Indian Administrative Service officer allegedly under pressure of the "mining mafia", the Uttar Pradesh government is working on a proposal to constitute a special "mining force" to check illegal mining activities in the state.
On January 18, the agency had raided his premises and claimed to have seized about Rs 8 crore cash.
Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in the south, and Rajasthan and Gujarat in the west, are the country's top producers of limestone
'Government officials use Gmail and ordinary phones without basic security consciousness.' 'Interoperability, especially in joint exercises with countries like the US, worries me.' 'It often means we open our systems to them, but they don't reciprocate.' 'They could have kill switches in their systems and might even be able to affect ours.'
Reacting to the incident of a police sub-inspector being mowed down by a tractor carrying illegally mined sand in Jamui, Bihar Minister Chandra Shekhar said that the incident is nothing new and asked whether such incidents did not happen in other states.
The Supreme Court of India has ruled that it is mandatory to consider the twin conditions laid out in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) when deciding bail applications in money laundering cases. The court emphasized the seriousness of the crime and the need to comply with the rigorous requirements of Section 45 of the PMLA, which includes giving the prosecutor an opportunity to oppose bail and ensuring that the court is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to believe the accused is not guilty and unlikely to commit another offense on bail. The ruling was made in response to an appeal filed by the Enforcement Directorate against a Patna High Court order granting bail to an accused in a money laundering case. The Supreme Court found that the High Court had granted bail without properly considering the requirements of Section 45 and remanded the case back for a fresh review.
A deputy superintendent of police investigating illegal stone-mining was killed on Tuesday when a truck he signalled to stop in Haryana's Nuh district drove into him, officials said.
IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal, whose suspension by UP Government has sparked a controversy amid allegations that she was targeted for taking on the powerful sand mafia, on Friday met the Secretary to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
Rana Gurjit denied the charges saying neither he nor his company - Rana Sugars Limited - has any direct or indirect stakes in sand mining business.
In the last five years, 37 bridges have collapsed in Uttarakhand. Another 27 bridges are on the brink of collapse. 'Our politicians don't view these bridge collapses as a setback.' 'Rather they see them as an opportunity to make more money.'
The Union home ministry wants state governments to take proactive action against illegal mining as it has become a national security threat. In a recent meeting with the states, the home ministry said that windfall profits from such mining of minerals and sand were being used by the mafia to aid extremist elements.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Bharatiya Janata Party and all the alliance parties will contest the upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu together under the National Democratic Alliance. The significant political development comes ahead of the TN Assembly election to be held in 2026,
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