Police Told To Follow Govt Orders Before Confiscating Vehicles In Illegal Sand Mining
The FIR was registered by Huzurabad police and a chargesheet was filed in 2023. Karuna Sagar, counsel for Sanjay, argued that the minister was busy with the ongoing Parliament session.
Hyderabad:The Telangana High Court directed the police to follow government orders before confiscating vehicles and machinery, if found involved in illegal extraction and transportation of sand.
Justice E.V. Venugopal said that GO 15 issued by the industries and commerce (mines) department, dated 19.02.2015, imposes only a penalty for the first two offences for vehicles and machinery involved in illegal mining and transportation. Police have the authority to confiscate vehicles or machinery for a third offence.
Instead, the Nagarkurnool police confiscated a tractor which was involved for the first time in transportation of sand which was illegally extracted. Madhavaram Rameshwar Rao, counsel for the vehicle owner, submitted that after paying the penalty of `5,000 and an order issued by the assistant director of mines and geology to release the tractor, the police did not release the vehicle. Moreover, a criminal case was booked against the driver on charges of damage of public property and other two provisions from various Acts.
