Pune Gangland: Crackdown on ‘Sand Mafia’: Pune Rural Police Dismantle 14 Boats, Extern Two Gang Leaders
By India Crime Correspondent
PUNE, February 23, 2021
In a steadfast drive against the entrenched sand mafia operating within the Bhima river basin, the Pune rural police have escalated their efforts by seizing and demolishing a total of 14 boats utilized for illicit sand mining.
Two alleged leaders of the sand mafia have been externed over the course of the last two weeks, marking a resolute stance against this organized criminal activity.
Region Under Siege
Within the precincts of Daund, Shirur, and Indapur talukas in Pune district, a host of unlawful sand mining networks has taken root, particularly in the Bhima river basin.
These riverbeds are renowned for harboring high-quality sand, a prized commodity perpetually in demand, fueling both private and government construction initiatives.
Collaborative actions by the Pune District Administration, Police, Forest Department, and allied agencies have yielded a coordinated campaign against these criminal syndicates.
In the months of October and November of the preceding year, this concerted effort culminated in the apprehension and destruction of over 80 boats implicated in illicit excavation, accompanied by a series of arrests.
Recent Escalation in Operations
In the latest surge of actions spanning the past fortnight, law enforcement has executed three raids, confiscating and dismantling 14 boats valued at Rs 1.3 crore.
Moreover, 14 individuals have been booked, and a transport truck used for conveying excavated sand has also been impounded.
On Monday, Superintendent of Police Abhinav Deshmukh, overseeing the Pune Rural jurisdiction, issued orders of externment against two alleged sand mafia ringleaders, Vishnu Balbhim Amnar alias Lala and Nitin Lavangare.
Legal Mechanisms and Externment
The Maharashtra Police Act empowers senior officers holding the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) or Superintendent of Police (SP) to initiate the externment or banishment of a criminal from specific jurisdictions.
This decision is founded upon the apprehension that the individual’s prior criminal record could potentially endanger law and order within the specified region.
It is worth noting that these externment orders are subject to judicial examination, and the individual in question can face legal consequences if found to be within the jurisdiction covered by the externment order.
Scope of Externment
Both Amnar and Lavangare have been subjected to externment from the regions of Daund, Shirur, Indapur, and Baramati talukas within Pune district.
Furthermore, they are prohibited from entering two neighboring talukas spanning the Solapur and Ahmednagar districts, where their alleged operations were identified.
………………………..
