Sand mafia steals seized tractors from Chhatarpur police station:Viral video sparks administrative probe; Collector issues notice, SP reprimands staff

In Chhatarpur, SDM Akhil Rathore caught three tractors illegally transporting sand and parked them at the Civil Line Police Station. A few hours later, the sand mafia reportedly took the tractors from the police station. After the incident went viral on social media, the SDM seized the tractors again and moved them to another police station for security reasons. Tractors seized and stolen On Saturday morning around 7 am, SDM Rathore and the revenue team caught three tractors carrying illegal sand. The tractors were taken to the Civil Line Police Station. Around 1:10 pm, Bagauta Patwari Pushpendra Singh and members of the sand mafia reportedly arrived at the station and took the seized tractors. Witnesses recorded the incident, and the video quickly circulated on social media. The Civil Line Police Station in-charge, Satish Singh, claimed he was unaware of the tractors being taken. Political reaction and administrative action After the video surfaced, Congress state president Jitu Patwari tweeted tagging Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, saying: “Sand mafia entered the police station and took away tractors. Has law and order become so weak that the mafia loot in front of the police?” Following the uproar, Collector Parth Jaiswal issued a notice to SDM Rathore, demanding an immediate reply. He also formed a team to investigate. SP Agam Jain reprimanded the station in-charge, noting that no written seizure entry had been recorded. Tractors seized again, police stations refuse to keep them Late on Saturday, SDM Rathore seized the tractors again. They were loaded with sand and brought back to Civil Line Police Station, but the station refused to keep them. Officials at the Traffic Police Station also refused. Finally, the SDM had the tractors kept at Orchha Road Police Station late at night. SDM explains security concerns On Sunday morning, SDM Rathore released a video explaining the move. He said the Civil Line Police Station has a small boundary and batteries have been stolen before, so the tractors were kept at Orchha Road Police Station for safety. He warned that illegal sand transportation will not be tolerated and said heavy fines would be imposed through the Mining Department. Mining official Gyaneshwar Tiwari said he had not received any formal information about the incident. Illegal sand transport in the city Locals said 200 to 300 tractors illegally transport sand in Chhatarpur daily. The sand mafia openly park sand-laden tractors near Satai Road, Deri Road, Mahoba Road, and Gayatri Temple. They claimed that administrative action against them is minimal. One of the seized tractors belongs to Deepak Yadav, reportedly a supporter of local MLA Lalita Yadav. Deepak has been seen attending several MLA events. SDM’s warning The SDM reiterated that strict action would continue against those involved in illegal sand business. He warned that anyone caught transporting sand illegally will face heavy fines and legal action.