In Rajasthan, where political patronage to illegal mining is an open secret, police and administration officials had been at the receiving end of the mafia whenever they tried to curtail the menace.
Last year, superintendent of police, Bharatpur, Vikas Kumar was shunted out to a non-field posting for over a year when he dared to launch a campaign against illegal mining. Hundreds of illegal mines are operating on Aravalli hills in Bharatpur.
In a single day in March last year, Vikas Kumar arrested 97 people from mines in Pahari region. Nearly a month later, he was shifted as commandant of 2nd Rajasthan Armed Battalion in Kota, generally considered a punishment posting.
Some local politicians had raised a hue and cry over what was termed as “the biggest-ever crackdown” on the illegal mining in the region. These politicians alleged that most of those who were arrested were innocent people. MLA from Bharatpur’s Kaman constituency Zahida Khan staged a sit-in and approached the chief minister and chief secretary C K Mathew immediately after the operation. She demanded Vikas Kumar’s transfer from the district.
Traders in Bharatpur town observed a day-long bandh against Vikas Kumar’s transfer. All commercial establishments remained closed a day after his transfer on April 30 last year. “He was punished for carrying out his duties with honesty,” said Vijay Bansal, BJP legislator from Bharatpur.
The 2004-batch officer was posted in Bharatpur three days after the Gopalgarh violence that claimed the lives of 10 Meo Muslims on September 14, 2011.
“If the government thought that he was skillful enough to be deputed in Bharatpur at a time when things were completely out of control, why he was transferred? Why has he been posted in an armed battalion?” asked Bansal.
Vikas had registered several FIRs against those who were arrested. However, sources said that after his transfer, no progress was made in these cases. Besides, police did not take any action against illegal mining in the region since the transfer of Vikas Kumar. Locals said that the mining has resumed.
After remaining commandant of the RAC battalion for over a year, Vikas Kumar was appointed as deputy commissioner of police in Jaipur on Friday. When contacted, Vikas Kumar refused to comment.
src: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/SP-in-Rajasthan-had-tread-Durgas-path-met-almost-same-fate/articleshow/21611893.cms