5 booked for sand mining near river bridge in Maha's Akola

Five people were booked on Saturday for illegally excavating sand from a river basin close to a bridge in Maharashtra's Akola district, a Mining department official said.

Mining rules in the state prohibit sand excavation within 600 metres of any road or rail bridge as such activity could weaken the structure's foundation and lead to a collapse, the official said.

Acting on a tip-off, a district mining squad reached Lonagra village here at around 10:30am and found four persons engaged in illegal sand excavation from the river basin using a tractor.

"The excavation was going on just 500 metres away from the base of a bridge on the river. The police have registered a case under section 431 of the IPC pertaining to mischief by injury to public road, bridge, river or channel. Provisions of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code were also invoked," District Mining Officer Atul Doad said.

An Ural police station official identified the five as tractor owner Riaz Rahimoddin Mohamed Ejaz, Turab Shah, Kaleem Shah, Baba Sheikh Jamal and Khalif Sheikh.