Case Against Congress Lok Sabha Candidate From Kota Over Illegal Mining

Police on Tuesday lodged a case of theft, criminal trespass and encroachment of public land against Congress Prahlad Gunjal in a case of alleged illegal mining, officials said.

A joint team of police and forest department recovered 955 tonnes of stone, an excavator and a dumper were seized from a stone crusher unit, operated by Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Kota-Bundi Gunjal near Bawadikheda and Kolana villages, they said.

The action against Gunjal's stone crusher unit was carried out on Monday and Tuesday, officials said.

This comes a day after three illegal constructions, including a farmhouse, of Congress leader Amin Pathan, during an anti-encroachment drive in the Anantpura area in Kota.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Prahlad Gunjal said all papers related to the stone crusher were legal and that this was an act of political vendetta by the BJP in Rajasthan.

Police said they received information regarding illegal mining activities on government land in the Ranpur police station area.

A joint team of police and forest department reached the reported site on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday at Badwadikheda and Kolana villages, said DSP Manish Sharma who was part of the team.

Police found potential illegal mining activities, including machines and equipment, and the next day revenue, mining, police and forest department officials reached the spot for site mapping, he said.

  Sharma said an excavator, a dumper and 955 tonnes of stone were seized from the site on a report by the tehsildar.

A case against Prahlad Gunjal and his nephew Lokesh Gunjal was lodged under sections 379 (theft), 447 (trespass) of the IPC and 4/21 of MMRD Act and Section 92 A of Rajasthan Urban Improvement Act, he said.

Meanwhile, in a press conference, Prahlad Gunjal said the action at his stone crusher unit by the district administration was "political vendetta".

He claimed the stone crusher unit was operational legally with all required permissions, approvals and papers as per rules and regulations. Gunjal also showed papers at the press conference, claiming that they were official papers of the stone crusher unit.

The government was scared about the results of the Lok Sabha elections on June 4, Gunjal said, adding that it is taking action against anyone who is anti-BJP.

Notably, weeks before polling in Kota constituency in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls, Gunjal joined the Congress after being with the BJP for around 40 years. He was fielded by his new party against his former party colleague and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla -- who was contesting for the third straight term in Parliament.

Gunjal also said the land on which the stone crusher was being operated was converted exclusively for that purpose in July 2010.

Such permission for land conversion was only possible after NOC from all concerned departments, Gunjal said, asserting the legality of his crusher registered in the name of his wife.

With the oncoming rainy season, the stones were stored since the stonemines are filled with water due to the rain, he added.

Gunjal also pointed out several other mining and crusher units that are operational illegally in and around Kota and claimed he would protest against these illegal units after June 4. 

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