2 Cops Injured As Mining Mafia Attacks Police Team In Haryana, 2 Arrested

Two policemen were injured when a police team trying to stop alleged illegal stone mining here came under attack from a mob which escaped with a seized excavator, officials said on Thursday.

Police opened fire in the air to disperse the crowd. More than 30 people were booked and two were arrested, they said.

According to officials, a police team raided Hathangaon village on Tuesday evening after getting information about illegal mining.

The excavator operator, who was illegally mining stone, fled upon seeing police following which, the heavy machine was seized by police. Soon, more than 20 people reached the spot and started manhandling the police team and managed to escape with the excavator.

The excavator was taken to Sancholi village and when the police team reached there after a brief chase, stones were pelted at them. A police vehicle was hit by a tractor in which two head constables -- Vijay Kumar and Sukhdev -- got injured, officials said.

To disperse the crowd, police fired in the air and arrested two accused while others fled the scene along with the excavator and the tractor.

The arrested accused were identified as Taufiq and Kaif, said police.

An FIR was registered against the accused under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including an attempt to murder, on Wednesday, said police.

"We are questioning the arrested accused who are on police remand. Our teams are conducting raids to nab the others," said Hukam Singh, Station House Officer of Bichhor police station.

Last month, a mob allegedly attacked a team in Nuh while it was probing illegal stone mining and also freed the earth-moving machinery seized by police.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)