PTC exclusive: Illegal sand mining activities detected in Punjab CM's city Kharar
Mohali, February 12: Illegal sand mining activities have again resurfaced in Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's city Kharar. Following a tip-off, a PTC team made a surprise check at Tarapur village in the area, where illegal mining was going unabated.
As soon as the PTC team reached the spot, JCB drivers and stone crushers involved in the illegal activity fled the scene (find video below).
It was found that land has been dug up to 100 ft by the mining mafia. Sand was being extracted with the help of JCB machines and crushers.
Also read | Punjab CM Channi's nephew Bhupinder Singh Honey sent to judicial custody
With the Assembly elections in Punjab nearing, sand mining has become a contentious issue in the state. Political leaders are indulging in mudslinging over the issue and blaming each other for causing loss to the state exchequer. On the other hand, the Punjab Government also failed to introduce any mining policy during its last five-year tenure.
Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's nephew, Bhupinder Singh Honey, was on Friday sent to 14-day judicial custody in an illegal sand mining case.
Bhupinder Singh Honey was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Jalandhar on February 3 as part of its money laundering investigation into the alleged sand mining operations in Punjab.
Honey is the son of Charanjit Singh Channi's sister-in-law and has been in the ED's custody since then. Recently, the ED said the Punjab CM's nephew had admitted that the cash seized from his possession was earned from illegal sand mining as well as transfers and postings in Punjab.
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The federal agency had conducted raids against Bhupinder Honey and others on January 18 and seized about Rs 8 crore cash from his premises and about ₹2 crore cash from his associate Sandeep Kumar.
-PTC News
