In this photo, sand being illegally mined in Agra
On a day when the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav assured that he was serious about acting against illegal miners in the state, it came to light that one of his officers was threatened a month ago that he would be burnt alive if he didn't release the men he had nabbed in a raid.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Etmadpur JP Singh had arrested three men who were illegally mining sand at the behest of the local mafia in Agra.
Mr Singh was conducting raids and demanded to see documents related to the mining activity. When the men failed to produce the necessary permissions, he took them into custody and seized the tractor.
While en route to the local police station, 30 odd men led by the mining mafia Atar Singh forcefully got the three men released. The SDM said that they threatened to burn him alive if he didn't release them.
Mr Singh had three armed policemen but they were outnumbered by the mining mafia and their goons.
SDM Kirawali Rekha Chauhan, another officer who has got several cases registered against mining mafia, claims that despite several FIRs, mining continues uninterrupted.
An FIR has been registered but no one has been arrested so far.
Atar Singh, a local mining mafia and two others, have been named in the FIR.