KALABURAGI: IAS officer Ujjwal Kumar Ghosh narrowly escaped unhurt when a lorry carrying illegally mined sand almost collided with his car in the early hours of Saturday at Dandoti village in Chittapur taluk. Ujwal, a 2008 batch officer is the Deputy Commissioner of Kalaburagi district.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Ghosh said he received a tip-off on illegal sand mining on the banks of Kagina River near Dandoti village of Chittapur taluk. "I went to the place at about 2 am on Saturday along with Sedam Assistant Commissioner Bhimashankar and his gunmen. We saw that sand was being extracted from Kagina river with excavators and being loaded on to tippers. The sand mafia, which noticed our vehicles wanted to flee from the scene. The gunmen shouted at the drivers to stop the vehicles but they drove their vehicles rashly and a vehicle was about to hit my car but my driver immediately took the car to the side and we avoided being hit," he said.
Ghosh said he had not asked the police to accompany him as he wanted to see what was happening. When asked if it was a deliberate attempt on his life, Ghosh clarified that it was not, but due to rash driving, the tipper would have collided with his car had they not moved out of its way.
"Even after asking the officials, including police, to come to the spot they came late. By then many sand laden lorries had fled from the scene. Police have seized eight tippers, a car, one sports utility vehicle and a bike from the spot and arrested eight people, including drivers," he said.
The Chittapur tahasildar has filed a case against illegal sand lifting and transporting at the police station. This comes months after sand mafia had attempted to take the life of tahasildar of Afzalpur taluk.
The Deputy Commissioner said that it appeared that officials, including police, were either negligent or hand in glove with the sand mafia. "Considering this, I have decided to hold a magisterial inquiry on sand mafia in Chittapur taluk. I have asked Sedam Assistant Commissioner Bhimashankar to hold an inquiry in to the matter and submit the report at the earliest. Based on the report I will initiate action," Ghosh added.