Woman IAS officer alleges murder attempt by sand mafia in Udupi

While a complaint has been registered, the police is verifying why private vehicles were used for the raids and why no prior intimation to them (the police), as the procedure, was given.

District Deputy Commissioner of Udupi, Priyanka Francis has alleged that an attempt on her life was made on late Sunday night by those involved with the sand mafia. Priyanka, an Indian Administrative Service officer, in her complaint to the local police has claimed that attempts to assault her and Assistant Commissioner Shilpa Nag, another woman bureaucrat, was made when they tried to stop illegal sand miners.

A case was registered in the wee hours of Monday. Priyanka, who addressed the media later said that illegal sand mining was taking place at Kandlur near Kundapur. The duo along with two drivers, a gunman and a village accountant had gone on rounds in a private car. They had raided an illegal mining den in Halnad earlier on Sunday night and had taken six persons into custody. The same team raided a place at Kandlur later when the culprits allegedly attacked them.

"We had to run from the place in order to save ourselves but one of our colleagues could not come with us. He was rescued later with the help of police," Priyanka said.

Meanwhile, one person accused of illegally mining sand narrated a different story. Bhaskara, who has been admitted to a hospital in Kundapur for injuries, said that the bureaucrats came to his house late last night and committed atrocities against him. "When I questioned them, they took me away. They tried to arrest me and put me into a car. They closed the door suddenly and I lost two of my fingers. I was dragged by the car covering a distance of 300 meters," Bhaskara said.

Fourteen people have been arrested in total, following the raids and consequent complaint by the bureaucrat. While a complaint has been registered, the police is verifying why private vehicles were used for the raids and why no prior intimation to them (the police), as the procedure, was given. The bureaucrat claimed that they did not inform the police beforehand to ensure that the plan was not compromised.

OneIndia News