Maharashtra: Two officials suspended for failing to stop illegal sand mining in Beed district

Representative Image. File Photo

Two revenue department staffers have been suspended for failing to prevent illegal sand mining in the area under their watch in Maharashtra's Beed district, an official on Friday told PTI.

Senior officials found signs of rampant illegal sand mining near a river basin in Georai taluka, which prompted action against Purushottam Sudhakar Andhale (mandal adhikari) and Kiran Prabhakar Dandhe (talathi), the official added.

Beed Collector Avinash Pathak reportedly suspended the two for dereliction of duty on Thursday, the official said.

Anti-illegal sand mining operation in Thane

The authorities in Thane district of Maharashtra seized and destroyed equipment used for illegal sand mining in the district on June 26, reported the PTI.

The equipment was estimated to be worth Rs 24 lakh.

According to the PTI, the crackdown was conducted by the Bhiwandi sub-divisional office in the area spanning from Kalher to Kon, an official said.

Upon spotting the enforcement team, workers aboard a barge fled the scene. In an attempt to evade capture, the barge's hull was deliberately damaged, rendering it immobile and eventually submerged, he said, as per the news agency.

Efforts to remove the suction pump from Kalher port using a boat were underway, with plans to dismantle and disable it permanently using gas cutters to prevent any future use for illegal activities, the official added, as per the PTI.

Gun-supplying gang busted by Mumbai Crime Branch

The Mumbai Crime Branch Unit 9 arrested a gang member from Mirzapur who was supplying guns in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. The Crime Branch officers also recovered eight sophisticated pistols and 138 live cartridges from the accused and arrested two more people from the Navi Mumbai area.

Crime Branch sources told mid-day, "This gang was only supplying weapons to people with criminal backgrounds, and their guns were used in many firing incidents across Maharashtra." The main accused is Mitailal Gulab Chaudhari (53), a resident of Bhuij Khas Village in Chunar, Mirzapur.

A Crime Branch source told mid-day, "The accused Chaudhari had been supplying sophisticated firearms in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai for many years. Like the characters from the Mirzapur web series, Chaudhari was involved in making guns in Mirzapur and supplying them to Mumbai and Navi Mumbai."

(With inputs from PTI)