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Shahdol: A tractor involved in illegal sand transportation from Samadhin river crushed an ASI posted at Byohari police station late on Friday night. ASI Mahendra Bagri died tragically on the spot. ASI Prasad Kannauje, constable Sanjay Dubey, along with ASI Bagri, went to Sukha and Kalhari villages at Byohari police station to collect permanent warranty. Then near Khadhauli village, the driver of tractor number MP 18 AA 9526, Raj Rawat alias Vijay, resident of Jamodi, was transporting sand illegally.
Mahendra Bagri, Assistant Sub Inspector, Shahdol, tried to stop him along with his colleagues, but the tractor driver jumped out of the vehicle and ran away, trampling ASI Bagri. Later, other police personnel informed the top officials about the incident and the police arrested the accused tractor driver in the night itself.
He was crushed to death when he tried to stop the speeding tractor carrying sand.
Mahendra Bagri died on the spot, while Mr Kanoji and Mr Dubey somehow managed to escape unhurt.
After trampling the ASI at the incident site, tractor driver Raj Rawat jumped from the vehicle. Due to this, the tractor went out of control and fell into a bridge and met with an accident. When the trolley fell under the bridge, the engine got stuck in the bridge itself. Shahdol police first arrested the tractor driver. After that, Ashutosh Singh, the youth who was piloting for sand theft, has also been arrested. Ashutosh Singh is the son of tractor owner Surendra Singh, resident of Jamodi. He himself was getting sand stolen under his supervision.
Officials said the driver and truck owner’s son have been arrested, while the owner of the tractor is on the run. “The driver of the tractor has been arrested and an inquiry is on. In the inquiry, it was revealed that the son of the owner of the tractor was also involved in it. He has also been arrested, ” DC Sagar, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Shahdol said.
Police have announced a reward of ₹ 30,000 for any information leading to the truck’s owner Surendra Singh.
A case has been registered against the driver and sand mafia father-son duo — Ashutosh Singh and Surendra Singh, officials said.
Illegal sand mining is rampant in Madhya Pradesh, with hundreds of dumpers transporting sand from the banks of the Son River.
A Revenue Department official was crushed to death last year in November by a tractor allegedly belonging to the sand mafia in Shahdol.
Prasann Singh was crushed to death when he tried to stop a truck transporting illegally mined sand near Son River.
