Madhya Pradesh farmer’s murder, suspected to be by sand mafia, sparks tension

Bhopal:

A tribal farmer was brutally murdered in Madhya Pradesh’s Singrauli district, allegedly by the sand mafia. The incident took place late on Sunday night in Gannai village. Indrapal Agariya, 46, was crushed to death by a tractor-trolley allegedly involved in illegal transportation of sand. The sand mafia was digging sand from the Patir river, which flows near Gannai village, and transporting it through the paddy fields of Indrapal Agariya, sources said.

Concerned about the damage to his crops, Indrapal confronted the mafia and urged them to stop. Indrapal had tried to stop them once more, when he was run over.

The incident has led to political tensions in the state.

Congress party president Jeetu Patwari, in a social media post, alleged that the suspects have links with the BJP and have been involved in illegal sand transportation for years.
“Everyone knows who is protecting them and why,” Patwari said, sparking controversy.

According to local villagers, illegal sand transportation was taking place through Indrapal’s agricultural land, leading to significant damage to crops.

The accused, former vice-president of the BJP Yuva Morcha Lale Vaish and his associates, allegedly ignored repeated warnings to stop using the farmer’s land for their illegal activities.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav termed the incident “very sad and serious”.

He expressed his condolences to the family and assured the people that the state would not tolerate such heinous crimes.

“I have directed the district administration to immediately investigate the matter. There is rule of law in Madhya Pradesh and strict action will be taken against such criminals,” the Chief Minister said.