Meerut: Two persons were injured in clashes between sand miners and villagers in Baghpat on Thursday night. In retaliation, villagers tried to torch machines and vehicles belonging to the miners. Later, police filed FIRs against 43 persons from both sides.On Friday, however, villagers held a panchayat and announced they would take aggressive action if police did not withdraw the cases and if mining was not stopped. According to villagers, the mining contractors were “destroying” their crops in the name of extracting sand from river banks.Former minister and Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Sahab Singh, who attended the panchayat said, “This mining is illegal and is being done in collusion with the district administration. When farmers tried to stop it, they were fired at. Instead of taking action against miners, FIRs were filed against farmers, who have even lost their crops because of earthmover machines.”Administration officials, however, said the mining was entirely legal. Baghpat district magistrate Rishirendra Kumar said, “There was a contract given on a specific area of government land in the village through e-tendering process. This was the same land where farmers had been cultivating crops for quite some time. However, clash occurred when mining contractors began mining. There have been a few injuries but situation is now under control.”According to police sources, a case was filed by villagers against 15 persons including mining contractors and 28 villagers were also booked for arson and violence. The 43 persons were booked under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 427 (mischief causing damage).Baghpat superintendent of police Jai Prakash said, “There was some misunderstanding between mining team and villagers that led to a clash. There is complete calm in the area and police force has been deployed.”

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