Udupi: Police launched a crackdown on illegal stone quarrying and transportation in Karkala and Padubidri, registering three cases.
In the first case, Karkala Rural police led by PSI Prasanna MS, while patrolling in Karkala taluk on Sept 10, noticed a tipper truck travelling towards a quarry on the mud road at Kuntadi in Kalya village around 8pm. Karkala Rural police registered a case under Section 288 read with 3(5) of the BNS and Section 9(b) of the Explosives Act. Three trucks and an excavator have been sezied In another case, acting on information from the Karkala ASP, police raided CMS Stone Crusher at Kalya village around 4.45pm on Sept 11. A dump truck, two empty tipper trucks, around 20 loads of jelly stones and large permanently installed machinery used to crush boulders into jelly and manufacture M-sand were found at the premises. Karkala Rural police registered a case under Sections 303(2), 112(1) read with 3(5) of the BNS. Four tippers, three excavators, a crusher unit and around 20 loads of jelly stones were seized. Based on information received, PSI Saktivel E of Padubidri police station raided a crusher located about 500m north of the state highway, on the roadside leading from Kanjarakatta in Santhoor village towards the Santhoor Subramanya temple, on Sept 11.
The raid revealed several excavators used for loading crushed stone. However, police records and inquiries with officials of the department of mines and geology revealed that the licence of CMS Stone Crusher had expired several years ago.
He allegedly told police that Ranjith of Mala village was operating the crusher and had told them that the required permission was available, and that they could transport jelly stones and M-sand. When the vehicle was stopped near the quarry, it was found empty, while two other trucks were parked nearby after being loaded with stones. An excavator was also found at the site. Police questioned persons at the spot and found that Harish Shetty, Santosh Shetty and others were allegedly crushing and transporting stones using explosives without obtaining the required permission. Police questioned Jagadish, the driver of a truck that was being loaded with M-sand. Police alleged that accused Mohammed Shafi and Ranjith had operated in collusion, transporting stones from a quarry to the crusher without valid permission, crushing them and selling the material, thereby causing revenue loss to the government. Meanwhile, Padubidri police also conducted a raid in connection with alleged illegal quarrying and sale of crushed stone.