Patna: Sand mafia held, weapons and cash seized

PATNA: The Patna police on Sunday arrested a sand mining mafia Sunil Yadav and his two associates with sophisticated weapons and huge cash from Paliganj police station area. Sunil (38), a deserter of the Border Security Force (BSF), is considered close to jailed RJD chief Lalu Prasad.
Acting on a tip-off, a police team led by Paliganj SDPO Manoj Kumar Pandey conducted a raid at Mahabalipur village under Paliganj police station area and arrested Sunil in connection with a case related to indiscriminate firing during Holi in March this year.The firing over sand mining in Sone river had created panic among the local residents.
SP (west) Abhinav Kumar said two sophisticated weapons, 126 live cartridges and Rs.15 lakh cash were seized during the raid. Sunil’s younger brother Anil Yadav (35), also a constable of the BSF, and his accomplice Ravindra Yadav were also apprehended from Mahabalipur, close to the border of Arwal district. At least six cases were pending against Sunil at Paliganj police station alone, he added.
The SDPO said that Patna police received a letter from the BSF headquarters last month stating therein that Sunil had been dismissed from service on the charge of insubordination and his involvement in unlawful activities. His younger brother Anil was also facing departmental proceedings on a similar charge, he said.
Sunil, however, failed to provide documents pertaining to the sophisticated weapons purchased from the ordnance factory. One of his close relatives told the police that the seized rifles were not illegal but licensed one. Unconfirmed reports said that arms licences were obtained from Jammu and Kashmir. “The weapons were used to intimidate authorized contractors engaged in sand mining in the area,” the SDPO said.
Sunil recently uploaded his pictures with RJD chief Lalu Prasad and other members of his family on his social media account. “Sunil used his close connections with the RJD leaders to influence the officials of the mining department and those of the district administration,” said an investigating officer.
Last week Sunil uploaded a video on his social account showing two semi-automatic weapons in both of his hands and asking people not to fear police. “Police se dare nahi. Apne 10 adhikar ko janiye (Don’t fear from police. Know your 10 rights),” he said in the video, which went viral on Wednesday.