An assistant sub-inspector (ASI) was mowed to death by a tractor-trolley used for transporting illegally mined sand in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol district, the police said on Sunday (May 5). Two people were arrested in the incident which took place on the intervening night of Saturday-Sunday in Badoli village under Beohari police station limits, the police said. The deceased ASI was identified as Mahendra Bagri who was posted at the Beohari police station and was on his way to arrest a person in some case along with two of his colleagues.
How did the incident take place?
Upon seeing a sand-laden tractor-trolley coming towards their direction, they tried to stop it. Bagri and the other officials gave a signal to the driver to stop the tractor carrying the illegally mined sand. The driver did not stop the vehicle and ran it over the ASI, the police said.
The driver jumped from the tractor and fled after the incident. The speeding vehicle went out of control and overturned after colliding with a culvert, the police said.
Driver Raj Rawat and Ashutosh Singh, who was piloting the vehicle, were later arrested. However, the owner of the vehicle Surendra Singh is absconding, they added.
A case was registered against the accused on charges of murder and illegal sand mining under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Mines Act, the official said.
Police announce cash reward
Additional Director General of Police, Shahdol zone, DC Sagar said that a reward of Rs 30,000 has been announced for anyone providing information that would help the police to arrest Surendra Singh.
'Piloting' in Shahdol is used to refer to moving ahead a vehicle while seeing the road is clear and no checking is being done by authorities.
In November last year, a local revenue department official was crushed to death by a tractor-trolley used for transporting illegally mined sand from the Son river in Gopalpur area of Shahdol district.
(With inputs from Vishal)
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