The Calcutta High Court has directed that if illegal sand mining is occurring on the Damodar river bed, as alleged in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), appropriate action must be initiated.
The petitioner has claimed that despite bringing the matter to the attention of the authorities, no action has been taken against the illegal sand mining activities on the Damodar river bed.
Strict Action
A division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya has mandated that if illegal mining is indeed taking place, action should be taken not only under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) but also to ensure the seizure of vehicles used for such activities and the imposition of penalties as per the Mines and Minerals Regulation Act. The Additional District Magistrate of Bankura has been tasked by the Calcutta High Court to conduct a surprise inspection of the relevant area.
The bench has instructed that the directive be implemented within eight weeks.
False Cases?
The petitioner’s counsel has alleged that false cases were filed against him at Barjor police station in Bankura district after he initiated a movement against illegal sand mining in the area through an NGO.
The government lawyer has stated that an FIR has been registered based on the petitioner’s complaints, and the investigation is currently underway.
The High Court has emphasized that merely filing an FIR is insufficient, and if illegal sand mining is occurring, the district administration must take action against it.
