BERHAMPUR: Kodala police has arrested a sand smuggling gang which lifted the minor mineral using forged Y-forms (transit pass) in Ganjam district. Five sand-laden trucks were seized by the police which arrested three members of the outfit.
The accused have been identified as Krupasindhu Muduli, Gostha Padhy and Mangaraj Behera. “The police intercepted five sand-loaded trucks on night of October 14 when the vehicles were passing through the police limits, “ said SP Jagmohon Meena.
During interrogation, the drivers of the trucks said that the sand was lifted from the bank of Rushikulya river near Badamadhapur in Chatrapur tehsil. Though police let the drivers go, it became suspicious and seized five Y-forms, sand-loaded trucks, Rs 1 lakh, a mobile phone and three blank Y-Form books issued by tehsildar of Chatrapur.
The Y-forms were placed before the tehsildar and on verification found to be forged. The seal, stamp, and signature were not genuine and based on the report from the tehsildar, it was concluded that it is a case of forgery, said the SP. Later, police recorded the statements of drivers of the trucks, staff of sand ramps who reportedly stated that the sand lifting was done by Muduli.
Upon further investigation, it was ascertained that the accused prepared and used forged Y-forms with the same book number (2350). The trio was extracting sand at a rate six times higher than the permitted limit from the river bed on daily basis, added the SP.
Additionally, it was found that Muduli has been involved in eight similar cases under Purusotompur, Hinjili and Kodola police stations in the district. The three were produced before a court. Further investigation is underway.