The special drive against illegal sand mining has come to a standstill following a fresh directive from Patna High Court.

The drive was launched last week on the direction of high court judge Justice Ahsauddin Amanullah. The direction was issued while hearing a petition filed on behalf of Sunil Kumar and others on February 17 this year.

Justice Amanullah had appointed deputy inspector-general (DIG) of Patna central range, Shalin, as officer of the court to probe illegal sand mining that is going on unabated in the state, especially in Patna and Bhojpur districts situated on the banks of river Ganga.

Shalin undertook the drive and inspected different ghats on the banks of the Ganga from where illegal mining was being carried out by the mafia. The officer had to face opposition from the mining mafia operating in areas of Patna and Bhojpur.

Shalin was asked to submit the report in four weeks. However, on Friday Shalin received a call from director-general of police (DGP) P.K. Thakur asking him not to pursue the drive. Thakur cited the fresh high court directive issued by acting chief judge Justice Hemant Gupta.

The acting chief justice stayed the probe being conducted by Shalin while hearing a special leave petition filed by a certain Jai Prakash Yadav on Wednesday.

Sunil's legal counsel P.K. Verma said the operations against illegal mining had been stayed on the directive of the acting chief justice of the high court. "The jurisdiction of the court will be changed from single bench to double bench," Verma added.

Illegal mining is rampant in Saran, Patna, Bhojpur, Supaul, Sheikhpura, Begusarai, Lakhisarai, Rohtas and Buxar, causing loss of revenue to the state exchequer worth crores.

Sources said sand mining is more organised in the state now. Over 50 miners are illegally operating in Rohtas. The ghats near Digha and Maner in Patna and Koelwar in Bhojpur are filled with trucks involved in illegal operation.

A retired IPS officer, who had served as superintendent of police in Bhojpur, which is the hub of the illegal trade, said the power of people who controlled the sand-mining was well-known. The sand mafia is so influential that officers who opposed it were often transferred.

Shalin, during his inspection, came across several residents who said they were in fear. One of the residents reportedly told Shalin that no officer dared to question the mining mafia.

"People have such terror that if anybody asks anything the miners resort to physical intimidation without any fear," a resident said.

The residents of Digha and Maner were so afraid that no one dared to speak openly about the mafia. Several people have been killed in altercation with the hired goons of the illegal miners.