By Our Legal correspondent
JAMMU: The Division Bench of Jammu and Kashmir High Court comprising Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Ali Mohd Magray while expressing concern over failure of Police and Geology and Mining Department to check illegal mining and smuggling of minor minerals from River Tawi has directed for inclusion of erring officials name so as to investigate their roles in the nexus.
Stating that “The illegal mining is ordinarily carried out from the river bed of Tawi which is considered to be life line for Jammu City” the bench fixed hefty fine for release of vehicles involved in illegal mining. The order said that Rs 50,000 for first violation, Rs 1 lakh for second violation and confiscation of vehicles involved in the mining.
The DB had asked the SSP, Jammu to augment the check point with sufficient deployment so as to curb the illegal mining and seized the vehicles involved in it.