Patna/Saran, Oct. 5: A detailed report on the sand smuggling in Saran district has been sent to the senior rungs of the government. The district magistrate had stumbled upon the racket during a raid on Monday night.

"Now the onus lies on the officials of transport department, police and mining department," Saran district magistrate (DM) Deepak Anand said today. "The police cannot be absolved of their responsibility as the trucks would to pass through police stations concerned. While the transport department is responsible for movement of overload trucks and verification of documents, it is duty of the police to check the vehicles crossing through their jurisdiction."

Saran superintendent of police (SP) Pankaj Kumar Raj said it was easy to blame the police. "To blame the police is the easiest thing to do. The role of police is limited," he said. "Mining is the concern of the mining department and checking of overloaded trucks is the duty of the transport department. The police's job is to maintain law and order and check crimes."

The DM's detailed report has been sent to the chief secretary, director-general of police and principal secretary, labour resources.

He clarified that the illegal practices of extraction and transportation of sand was rampant in the district for the past several months and on some occasions he had taken action against such vehicle owners for violating rules. "I had written to the officials concerned umpteen times to check the practice but in vain," he added.

After Saran district officials stumbled upon a laminated Rs 20 note, the DM and a team of officials detained over 100 sand-laden trucks in the area falling under Doriganj police station. The truck operators were found plying their vehicles without any challan, while the truckers said the sand had been taken from the Sone river banks in spite of a National Green Tribunal ban on sand mining.

Some of the drivers told the DM that local police officers were involved in the racket. Some even alleged that the money paid to the cops went to the Saran SP, who had provided the truckers his mobile number.

Anand said he didn't have any personal vendetta against Raj. "I am not vindictive against any official. I have already reported the matter to the higher-ups. The report doesn't reflect any bias," he said. "But the role of the police is certainly under the scanner. This is what I can say about the police's role in the sand-smuggling racket."

The DM claimed he had a cordial relationship with the district's top cop. "The question of cadre (IAS and IPS) clash doesn't arise."

Sharing details of the Monday operation, Anand said: "I noticed sand-laden trucks passing through the Doriganj police station area while returning to Chhapra from Patna. When I intercepted a few trucks, the drivers showed me a laminated Rs 20 note and also disclosed their unique code."

He added that the drivers told him they had to pay Rs 6,000 (for each truck) to the police officials for purchasing the unique code.

The racketeers circulated currency notes of a particular series among the truck operators and police officers did not stop their vehicles if the unique code was disclosed to the cops.

SP Raj, however, said over 100 trucks had been seized in the past three months for violating the prescribed rules of mining. "We performed well so far as implementation of prohibition is concerned in the district. The Saran police bagged second prize in the state on this front," he said, adding that when one was stuck, blaming the police becomes the practice. "Police should not be blamed for such kind of mess."

Saran divisional commissioner Narmadeshwar Lal said he would wait for the government's directive. "Since the DM has submitted his report to the government, there is no point making any comment on the issue at this stage."