ASI Crushed to Death By Sand Mafia’s Tractor In Madhya Pradesh, 2 Arrested

Shahdol (MP): In a shocking incident, an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of police was crushed to death by a tractor-trolley transporting illegally mined sand in Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh.

The deceased officer, ASI Mahendra Bagri, was on duty with colleagues when they encountered the sand-laden vehicle on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday in Badoli village.

While attempting to flag down the tractor for inspection, the driver allegedly ignored their signals and continued driving, fatally injuring ASI Bagri. Following the incident, the driver abandoned the tractor, which subsequently collided with a culvert and overturned. Two individuals, Raj Rawat and Ashutosh Singh, were arrested in connection with the incident. However, the owner of the vehicle, Surendra Singh, remains at large.

A case has been filed against the accused under charges of murder and illegal sand mining, as per the Indian Penal Code and the Mines Act.

Additional Director General of Police, Shahdol zone, DC Sagar announced a reward of Rs 30,000 for information leading to the arrest of Surendra Singh.

It’s worth noting that ‘piloting’ in Shahdol refers to advancing a vehicle while ensuring no inspections by authorities are underway.

This incident disturbingly echoes a similar tragedy in November 2023, where a local revenue department official lost his life after being struck by a tractor carrying illegally mined sand in Shahdol’s Gopalpur area.