Police raid night sand mining at Bamandoh stream near Warora, seize four tractors worth Rs 28.18 lakh

Warora police raided illegal sand transport under way at Bamandoh stream near Rantalodhi village, within Warora police station limits, at around midnight. Four tractors that were extracting sand from the riverbed without a permit, the sand in them and the labourers' equipment, together worth Rs 28,17,900, were seized. A case has been registered at Warora police station against eight people: four drivers and four tractor owners.

Sub-Inspector Manish Talewar of the Warora police station's DB squad and his team were on night patrol around October 30, 2026. The patrol was meant to keep watch on illegal gambling, prohibition offences and illegal sand extraction. Police received reliable confidential information from an informer that some people were illegally extracting sand from Bamandoh stream near Rantalodhi village and carrying it away in tractor-trolleys. Police then raided the area around the stream in secret, along with panch witnesses.

On inspecting the sandy bed of the stream, police found sand being loaded into four tractors. On seeing the police, the labourers loading the sand fled under cover of darkness. Police chased them but could not catch them. However, the four drivers seated on the tractors were caught red-handed on the spot. Asked their names and addresses, they gave them as Haridas Raghoji Deshkar (50, resident of Majra, Warora taluka), Shankar Laxman Gedam (29, resident of Parsoda, Warora taluka), Anil Narayan Uike (40, resident of Chinora Khadan, Warora taluka) and Roshan Lileshwar Kurjekar (26, resident of Majra, Warora taluka).

The seized property is as follows: a Mahindra tractor (No. MH 34 L 1104), a red trolley and sand, together Rs 7,02,500; a Swaraj 744 XT tractor without a number plate and trolley, together Rs 7,02,500; an Eicher 551 tractor and trolley (No. MH 34 L 5515), together Rs 7,05,000; and an Eicher 485 tractor (No. MH 34 BV 6912) with a blue trolley (No. MH 34 L 6691), together Rs 7,02,500. Also seized were 12 wooden planks used to load sand into the tractors (valued at Rs 2,400) and 12 plastic pans (valued at Rs 3,000).

Questioning showed that the drivers had no sand extraction permit or any authorised documents. The drivers said their owners had sent them to this sand ghat to extract sand. According to the drivers, the activity was being carried out at the instance of the tractor owners Manoj Gajanan Kurjekar (Majra), Sanjay Bapu Ballam (behind St Anne's Convent, Warora), Sudhakar Ramdas Warbhe (Gadgenagar, Warora) and Ishwar Ramesh Bhongade (Majra).

On the complaint of Sub-Inspector Manish Talewar, a case has been registered at Warora police station against eight people, the accused drivers and owners, under Sections 303(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 and Section 48 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code. Further investigation is under way. The night action at the sand ghat has alarmed sand smugglers.