Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Sand Smugglers Ransack Sillod Tehsildar’s Vehicle, Attempt To Set It On Fire

Sand smugglers pelted stones at the government vehicle of the tehsildar of Sillod in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and also tried to burn it by pouring diesel on it. The incident occurred on Didgaon–Upali Road on Wednesday night. The windows of the vehicle were broken. A case has been registered with the Sillod Rural Police Station, officials said on Sunday.

"The sand was being transported illegally from the Anjana riverbed on Wednesday night. The tehsildar team took action and caught two tractors. Meanwhile, the sand smugglers attacked the government vehicle of the tehsildar. They even tried to burn the vehicle by pouring diesel on it. A case has been registered against the tractor owner Raju Folane, Vijay Shejul and Dadarao Dudhe and their accomplices," said an official.

"Mandal officer Shankar Jaiswal and his team were patrolling in a government vehicle on Wednesday night. The team stopped two tractors and the smugglers started pelting stones on their vehicle. The officers fled to nearby buses for safety after the smugglers tried to burn the vehicle," he added.

Reportedly, the smugglers are digging sand illegally at Mondha, Wanjola, Savarkheda, Khodkaiwadi, Kehrala, Borgaon Bazar, Kotnandra, Bhavan and Upali sand belts in Sillod taluka. They are transporting sand from these belts illegally using 200 tractors and 40 trucks daily. The government is losing significant revenue due to this illegal activity.