Late-Night Raid Targets Illegal Mining in Beas Riverbed
The Nurpur district police conducted a special operation late Monday night under the Fatehpur police station jurisdiction, seizing heavy earthmoving machinery and mineral-laden vehicles involved in illegal mining along the Beas riverbed. The raid, led by DSP Jawali Biri Singh, targeted the Rey-Pattan area in Fatehpur subdivision.
Seized Equipment and Vehicles
Authorities confiscated one poclain machine, one JCB excavator, and five multi-axle trucks. The trucks were loaded with minerals allegedly extracted illegally from the Beas riverbed. Preliminary investigations indicated that the material was mined from the Himachal side of the interstate border and was being transported to Punjab for use in stone crushers.
Supply to Punjab Stone Crushers
Police officials stated that the minerals were allegedly being supplied to stone crushers operating in Punjab that lacked mining leases or permission to extract minerals from the Beas on the Punjab side. These crushers were sourcing raw material illegally from Himachal Pradesh, causing environmental degradation and substantial revenue loss to the state exchequer.
FIR Registered and Accused Named
Nurpur Superintendent of Police Ilma Afroz confirmed that FIR No. 72 of 2026 was registered under Sections 329(3), 303(2), and 190 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Section 21(1) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, and Section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act. Sushil Kumar, a resident of Hoshiarpur district in Punjab, was named as an accused during the preliminary investigation.
Separate Operation in Jakhada Area
In a parallel operation the same night, a team from Jawali police station seized a JCB excavator and a tipper allegedly engaged in illegal mining in the Jakhada area. Both vehicles were impounded, challaned under mining laws, and produced before the Judicial Court at Jawali for further legal proceedings.
Local Residents Call for Long-Term Strategy
Local residents and environmental activists welcomed the police action but urged the district police and mining authorities to formulate a long-term strategy to curb illegal mining along the interstate stretches of the Beas in the Fatehpur and Indora subdivisions.
