Cooch Behar: A landowner and his family were allegedly assaulted by a sand mafia and his associates after they protested against the illegal extraction of sand from their land. The incident occurred in Parmananda village under Gitaldaha-II Gram Panchayat in Dinhata-I Block.
The landowner, Ramesh Chandra Sen, has filed a written complaint at Dinhata Police Station, alleging that on February 13, a local sand mafia, Rafiqul Islam, also known as ‘Mobile Court’, forcibly extracted nearly 20 trolleys of sand from his land using a tractor trolley. Upon learning of the incident, Sen rushed to the site and halted the illegal activity.
Later in the evening, Rafiqul Islam and his associates allegedly attacked Sen and his family in a crowded market. During the assault, Sen’s shop was damaged. Sen, his wife, and his son were severely beaten up. As a result of the attack, Sen’s son became critically injured and had to be hospitalised. Residents of the area have also raised concerns, alleging that Rafiqul Islam has been illegally extracting sand for a long time and threatens those who attempt to stop him.
Speaking on the issue, Mukta Barman Roy, a panchayat member of Parmananda village, stated: “If this illegal sand mining continues, the village will soon face severe erosion by the river. I urge the administration to take immediate action.” Her husband, Abhijit Roy, a regional Trinamool Congress leader, also condemned the incident, saying: “The accused has been extracting sand illegally for a long time, even from the base of the government-constructed flood protection dam. When an attempt was made to stop him, Ramesh Chandra Sen and his family were attacked.”
Illegal sand mining remains a widespread issue in various parts of Dinhata-I Block, particularly during the dry season. Despite repeated complaints from locals, no effective solution has been implemented so far. Police are investigating the incident.