Cop 'abducted' by suspected sand mafia driver, rescued

A truck driver suspected to be a carrier for one of the notorious sand mafias of Northern India was arrested on Wednesday night in a high profile chase led by the Delhi police right after a traffic constable was 'abducted' while checking papers of the truck.

The suspect fled away as the constable stood on the steps leading to the passenger seat of the truck. The officer continued to cling on to a handle bar for the next 15 minutes before the vehicle was brought to a halt some five kilometers away from where he was 'abducted' from.

If the suspect is proven to be part of a syndicate, the incident highlights the growing menace of sand mafia. Senior police officers told dna that flouting of rules and regulation in neighbouring states of Delhi coupled with growing real estate business has furthered the cause of the sand mafias operating in and around the Capital.

The Wednesday's incident was reported near Central Delhi's posh Hanuman Road area at 11 pm when constable Dinesh, as per standard operating procedures of midnight checking, stopped the truck to see the registration papers and driving license. The driver, later identified as Mohamad Tareef (35), initially halted his vehicle but allegedly showed reluctance when asked to produce the papers. After being asked what he was carrying, constable Dinesh got a little cautious when Tareef told him that he had to deliver sand brought from Mewat area of Haryana to Karol Bagh area of the Capital.

As Dinesh continued with his questioning with a helper sitting on the passenger seat, Tareef stepped on the accelerator and sped away. A police control room van, which at the moment was occupied by inspector Manoj, began its chase. Simultaneously a message was sent to the police control room and moments later the truck was being chased by 10 PCR vans.

"Our officers tried to persuade him to stop. A warning shot was fired and when the driver did not stop two more rounds were fired directed at one of the tiers of the truck bringing it to an immediate halt. Constable Dinesh was then rescued," said R K Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police, PCR.

"The accused duo then started to run but our officers caught up with Tareef. A man hunt in underway to nab the helper," Singh said. A case was registered at the local police station and interrogators questioned Tareef
"This is not the first time that he has traveled to Delhi. We suspect that the accused might be involved with sand mafia syndicates operating in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, two states which share their borders with Delhi.

What is more of an issue is the lack of proper mechanisms to check whether the sand is legal or illegal," said an officer investigating the case.

"The tenders to excavate sand are released by the government and are acquired by private contractors legally. The contractors then excavate sand in areas beyond what they are originally allotted. In Delhi there are hardly any excavation points but there are many in UP and Haryana," said the officer.

Driver sped away
As constable Dinesh continued with his questioning with a helper sitting on the passenger seat, Tareef stepped on the accelerator and sped away. A police control room van, which at the moment was occupied by inspector Manoj, began its chase. Simultaneously a message was sent to the police control room and moments later the truck was being chased by 10 PCR vans.