Nagpur: In a first-of-its-kind action against organized crime in the region, the Nagpur Rural police have slapped the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) on sand mafia kingpin Kallu Khan and his nine-member gang. The gang had long dominated the river ghats with brute force, engaging in illegal sand smuggling and threatening anyone who opposed them.
Background of the Case
Kallu Khan, who had issued open death threats to those who dared to oppose him, has a history sheet with multiple offences, including attempt to murder. He operated a WhatsApp group to monitor and share real-time police movements, enabling his gang to evade raids and continue their illegal operations. Other group admins are also under the scanner of the police, an official said.
The case was registered by Bhiwapur police following the interception of two vehicles on April 24. The vehicles included a 12-wheeler tipper loaded with illegally mined sand and a scout vehicle used for reconnaissance. The driver of the sand-laden tipper, Kaiser Ali Riyazuddin Ali (47), and the scout vehicle driver, Mohammad Eenajul alias Kallu Khan (40), were arrested.
Further Arrests and Investigation
Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of Suraj Gabhne (27) from Gudegaon in Bhandara district and Dinesh Kakade from Dongargaon in Nagpur district. The remaining five accused, all from Nagpur and adjoining areas, are being actively tracked. IG Nagpur Range, Sandip Patil, approved the MCOCA application for Nagpur Rural police.
IG Patil stated, "We are aiming to smash the backbone of the sand mafia. All district police chiefs have been issued instructions to dismantle the sand supply chain. This inflicts substantial loss to the state exchequer." Nagpur Rural under SP Harssh A Poddar has repeatedly cracked down on the sand mafia.
WhatsApp Group and Threats
Sources stated that the WhatsApp group admin, Kakade, has two cases registered against him and confirmed there was already a MCOCA proposal against Kallu Khan. A video of Kallu Khan threatening a sand ghat owner's employee had gone viral. Authorized sand ghat owners, who secured their operations through legitimate government auctions, had been continuously threatened by Kallu. Sources added that they continued to suffer huge financial losses, and the government lost royalty.
Modus Operandi of the Syndicate
Police stated that the syndicate operated in a highly sophisticated and organized manner. They prepared fake sand transportation licenses and royalty papers to cheat the government of revenue. The gang allegedly used the same vehicle registration number plates on multiple trucks, switched off GPS trackers, and employed scout vehicles to alert members about police movements via their WhatsApp network. This coordinated approach allowed them to plunder riverbeds across Vidarbha, causing substantial financial loss to the state exchequer and severe environmental damage, including river erosion, groundwater depletion, and ecological imbalance.
Legal Proceedings
A thorough investigation, including seven-day police custody remand, expert interrogation, and technical evidence, established the gang's repeated involvement in illegal sand theft. The accused have multiple prior cases at Bhiwapur, Umred, and other police stations in Nagpur Rural, Nagpur City, and Bhandara districts. Despite earlier cases and preventive actions, they continued their operations, forcing police to escalate under MCOCA.
Bhiwapur police prepared a detailed proposal under MCOCA. After approval, stringent MCOCA sections were added to the existing FIR registered under various BNS sections, Section 4 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act 1957, Section 3 of the Public Property Damage Act 1984, and Section 15 of the Environment Protection Act.
