UP: Farmer protesting against illegal mining crushed to death by tractor in Pilibhit

Pilibhit (UP), Sep 25 (PTI) A farmer was killed after being run over by a tractor, allegedly driven by illegal mining operatives, while trying to stop them from excavating soil from his farm in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit district, police said on Thursday.

The incident occurred on Wednesday night in Ashoknagar village under Hazara police station limits near the Nepal border, they said.

According to the police, a group of villagers, including 60-year-old Indrajit Singh, confronted a mining mafia team who were digging out soil with tractor-trolleys.

When the villagers blocked the path, the driver allegedly hurled abuses and threatened to kill them before ramming the tractor into the protestors.

Singh was crushed under the wheels, while three others -- Kamal Singh, Durgesh Singh, and Ganesh -- sustained injuries. He was rushed to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The assailants fled the spot, leaving the tractor-trolley behind, police stated.

The tractor has been seized, and efforts are underway to identify its driver, Station House Officer (SHO) Hazara police, Sharad Kumar said.

The deceased's son, Pritam Singh, lodged a complaint naming six persons, including Alam Ali, his three brothers, Hemant Maheshwari, and Arvind Yadav, besides six unidentified men, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Vikram Dahiya said.

A case of murder and other serious charges has been registered, he added.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Puranpur) Ajit Pratap Singh noted preliminary inquiry suggests the incident was triggered by a dispute over the excavation of soil from the land. A revenue team has been asked to probe the matter, the DSP mentioned.

Following the incident, hundreds of villagers gathered at the spot and staged protests late into the night, police mentioned. PTI COR ABN ANM ABN ANM MPL MPL