11 arrested for illegal sand extraction from Varahi River in Kundapur

Kundapur police arrested 11 individuals for illegal sand extraction from the Varahi River, seizing boats and sand.

The Kundapur police arrested 11 persons on charges of illegal sand extraction and seized four boats worth ₹3 lakh and some amount of sand in the wee hours of February 10.

Acting on specific information that a few people were extracting sand from the Varahi River beneath the Kandlur Bridge, Kundapur Circle Inspector of Police Santosh A. Kaikini and team conducted a raid at 2 a.m. Upon noticing the police’s arrival, the accused quickly concealed themselves in the bushes by the river, alongside the boats.

The police subsequently took charge of the boats and the accused and brought them to the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Ltd. (KRIDL) sand dump at Halnad. After gathering panchas at the location, the police interrogated the accused and seized the boats. The accused told the police that they were daily wage workers at the KRIDL sand dump for contractor Sunil Shetty and supervisor Ajmal.

Shetty and Ajmal allegedly told the workers that quality sand was available beneath the Kandlur bridge and asked them to fetch sand promising extra money. Breaching the geo-fence of the allotted sand dune, the workers began extracting sand, they said.

Police gave the names of the accused as Ramshankar Rajbir, 35, Ram Kumar, 40, Govind Chowdhury, 26, Shivamuni, 32, Junna Rajbir, 35, satyadev, 30, Kamlesh Nishad, 35, Santosh Nishad, 23, Omprakash Rajbir, 34, Ramesh Rajbir, 35 and Ajmal.

Police said Shetty and Ajmal, knowing well that violating the geo-fencing of the dump was illegal, facilitated the violation and thereby committed under the Bharatiya Nyaya Samita and Minor Minerals Act. The accused would be produced before the jurisdictional court.