Mira Bhayandar: Arrested driver slips from under the nose of MBVV cops with sand-laden truck

Mira Bhayandar: In a major embarrassment for the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police, a 32-year-old driver who was taken into custody for illegally transporting sand in Bhayandar escaped with the truck laden sand late on Saturday night.

In response to a tip-off a night patrolling team from the Bhayandar police station intercepted a truck near the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Municipal Stadium in Bhayandar.

Driver did not have proper documents

The truck driver identified as-Govind Tukaram Shirsat (32) was detained after he failed to show documents related to permission and payment of revenue to ferry six brass (around 25 tons) of mined sand. The driver was unable to give proper replies to the queries raised by the police regarding transportation of sand, following which the officials conducted a panchanama and asked him to accompany them to the local police station for impounding the vehicle.

The driver stopped the truck mid-way, saying that the truck had encountered a technical snag. When the police personnel went ahead to find a mechanic, the driver started the vehicle and fled. When the police contacted the truck owner-Jitu Thakur (40) he promised to bring back the vehicle and the driver. However, when he failed to do so, the police registered an offence under the relevant sections of the IPC and provisions of the Maharashtra Land Revenue (MLR) Code-1966 against the duo. Further investigations were underway. Illegal excavation and transportation of sand continues unabated in Thane and Palghar districts.