Cops hand-in-glove with Gadag sand mafia: Jagadish Shettar

Bengaluru: Charging that the police are hand-in-glove with the sand mafia in the lock-up-death of a 21-year-old driver at Lakshmeshwara in Gadag district, opposition leader Jagadish Shettar said that police are harassing the innocents.

Raking up the issue during zero hour in the Assembly on Tuesday, he said that sand mining is rampant in Gadag district, which has the blessings of powerful people.

The deceased, Shivanand Ganiger, was detained by a police sub-inspector and was beaten up. Later, he was brought to the police station, where he died. However, the police had not seized the tractor, in which he was allegedly transporting sand. This shows that there is foul play in the incident, he said. Mr Shettar charged that police inspector Meti has been continuing in the same post for the last, while in other places, inspectors are transferred every two years. “This shows how well connected Mr Meti is.”

Home Minister Parameshwar said that there is no question of protecting anyone in the issue. The government has entrusted the investigation to the CID and if police officers are found to be involved in the sand racket, they will be dismissed from service, said.

He said that sand mafia is rampant across the state. So far, the government has booked 16,203 cases of illegal sand mining and seized 29,567 vehicles, including trucks and tractors.

The government has booked case against 30,000 people, he said. The government is not just a mute spectator, but is acting as per law, he said.