Young IPS officer who took on mining mafia killed

In a horrific incident, a 30-year-old IPS officer was today mowed down by a tractor-trolley, being driven by an alleged member of the mining mafia, when he tried to stop the vehicle carrying stones in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh.

Narendra Kumar Singh, the 2009-batch officer, was posted at Banmore as Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) a month ago and had taken on the mining mafia by seizing number of trucks and tractors engaged in illegal quarrying, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Chambal Range D P Gupta said.

The incident occurred at Banmore at around 1 pm when Kumar, who was out on patrolling in his official jeep, saw the trolley loaded with stones, he said.

Kumar signalled the driver to stop but he did not pay heed. So, he followed the vehicle, cut in and stood in front of the vehicle after getting down from his jeep.

But the tractor driver, Manoj Gurjar, drove on and knocked down the officer who was crushed under the wheels.

The officer was declared brought dead at the hospital, the DIG said, adding prima facie it appeared that the mining mafia, which is active in the area, was responsible for the incident.

Gurjar was arrested and a case registered under section 302 (murder) of the IPC against them, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Uma Shankar Gupta said.

The DIG said Kumar had been trying hard to stop illegal quarrying activities in the area and in the process he got killed.

He said Gurjar was being interrogated and "we are trying to ascertain whom he was working with".

Kumar's wife, Madhurani Tewatia, is an IAS officer posted in Gwalior and is currently on maternity leave.

Uma Shankar Gupta and State's Director General of Police (DGP) Nandan Dube rushed to Gwalior following the incident.

Inspector General of Police S W Naqvi said the tractor did not stop on being asked by Kumar and ran him over.

Home Minister Gupta told reporters that the government would take a stern action against those responsible, and especially against mining mafia.

An inquiry has been ordered into the incident, he added.

Leader of the Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Ajay Singh, said the incident showed how bad law and order situation was.

"One can imagine the law and order situation in a state where people are so emboldened that they can think of killing an IPS officer," the Congress leader said in a statement.

Morena district MP and BJP leader Narendra Singh Tomar said illegal mining was rampant in the area and demanded stern action against the menace.

"Illegal mining in Morena district has crossed all limits and the government must take stern measures," he said.

"The incident of young IPS officer Narendra Kumar Singh's alleged murder is a matter of serious concern and really unfortunate," said Tomar, who is also a BJP general secretary.

He denied members of ruling BJP were involved in the illegal mining.

Meanwhile, a local doctor, Dilip Mishra, who claimed to have witnessed the incident, presented a somewhat different version of the incident. Mishra told the media that when the tractor driver did not stop, Kumar got down from his jeep and ran after it.

After chasing it for some distance, he managed to climb onto the trolley and shouted at the driver to stop.

Instead, the driver suddenly turned the tractor towards a bylane, following which the trolley overturned and the IPS officer got crushed under the stones, Mishra claimed.