Police seize sand-laden truck in Chandrapur; Yuva Sena district chief booked as owner

Police have seized a truck carrying illegal sand within the limits of Virur police station in Rajura taluka of Chandrapur district. The name of Shailesh Kelzarkar, district chief of the Shiv Sena (Shinde) Yuva Sena, has come up in the case. Police have booked the truck driver and the vehicle's owner, and goods worth more than Rs 30 lakh were seized in the action.

Kumar Shushant, the sub-divisional police officer of Rajura, had received confidential information. Acting on it, Assistant Police Inspector Rajendra Gaikwad of Virur police station and his team set up a trap and a checkpoint near the Dhanora-Arvi T-point at around midnight on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.

Police stopped a suspicious truck (registration MH34BZ9950) coming from Arvi towards Virur and questioned the driver. He gave his name as Datta Dashrath Meshram (26), a resident of Babupeth, Chandrapur. When the vehicle was searched in the presence of panch witnesses, a large quantity of sand was found loaded in it.

When police asked for a permit for transporting sand and other documents, it became clear that the driver had no permit or any authorised paperwork. The truck carried nine brass of sand worth about Rs 27,000, while the truck itself is valued at Rs 30 lakh. Police thus seized goods worth Rs 30.27 lakh in all.

During questioning, Meshram admitted that he was carrying the sand at the instance of the truck's owner, Shailesh Ashok Kelzarkar (39). Kelzarkar lives at Tirtharup Nagar, Tukum, Chandrapur, in Rajura taluka.

Assistant Police Inspector Gaikwad lodged a complaint at Virur police station for violating government rules by transporting sand illegally. On the basis of the complaint, a case has been registered against the driver, Datta Dashrath Meshram, and the vehicle owner, Shailesh Ashok Kelzarkar, under sections 3(5), 303(2) and 49 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023.

Police Constable Mangala Pandhurang Meshram is investigating the case further.