Siliguri, 27th June: Following a stern directive from Minister Shankar Ghosh, the Bhakti Nagar Police Station and Ashighar Outpost launched swift action and arrested Uttam Barui, who has been accused of involvement in illegal sand trade operations.
According to sources, allegations had surfaced a few days ago that Uttam Barui was illegally stockpiling sand in the Ashighar area and running a business by sourcing and storing sand from various locations. After the matter came to light, local BJP leaders intercepted a truck loaded with sand and submitted a written complaint at the Ashighar Outpost. However, no effective action was reportedly taken by the police at that time.
On Friday, Minister Shankar Ghosh visited the Ashighar area, where he listened to complaints from local residents and later visited the Ashighar Outpost to speak with police officials. He directed the police to take swift and stringent legal action against those involved.
Following the minister’s warning, Bhakti Nagar Police acted promptly and conducted a raid within hours, arresting Uttam Barui from his residence.
Police sources said that the investigation is now focused on identifying others allegedly linked to the illegal sand trade, tracing the source of the sand supply, and determining whether a larger racket was operating behind the business. The accused was produced before the Jalpaiguri court on Saturday, while the investigation into the case is underway.