Patna, Feb. 29: Ashutosh Singh, the alleged kingpin of the illegal stone quarrying mafia, was today remanded to judicial custody after interrogation.

Sleuths of the district intelligence unit nabbed Ashutosh Singh (42) from his native village, Hathni, under the jurisdiction of Nokha police station in Rohtas district on Sunday. The arrest of the kingpin has proved a setback for the inter-state syndicate, which operates close to the state's boundaries with Jharkhand and UP.

Ashutosh, who used to move in beacon-fitted vehicles and claimed to be a state functionary of the RJD, was nabbed a month after an FIR was lodged against him with Dehri police station in Rohtas district for causing huge loss to the state exchequer.

Rohtas superintendent of police Manavjeet Singh Dhillon described Ashutosh's arrest as a prize catch for the police. "The syndicate operating in the region has received a jolt after Ashutosh's arrest."

During interrogation, Ashutosh said that he forayed into the stone quarrying business only nine months ago. Earlier, he was engaged in smuggling of coal from Jharkhand. "I switched over to the new business to earn fast buck," a police officer quoted the kingpin as saying.

He joined the coal mafia around 15 years ago. The third among four siblings, Ashutosh developed good relations with politicians and senior police officers. His father, according to the police, was also in the same business but he maintained a low profile.

Investigations revealed that Ashutosh had set up two fictitious companies - Singh Enterprises and C Enterprises - which used to provide fake challans (receipt) to trucks carrying stone chips and coal from Jharkhand.

Around 250 such vehicles used to cross the state's borders with Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh on the basis of fake challans, causing a huge loss to the state exchequer. The smuggling flourished in connivance with the officers of the commercial taxes department and the police.

Sources said the economic offences unit (EOU) of the state police is likely to grill the kingpin, lodged in Sasaram divisional jail. The EOU has started probing the illegal mining following an intelligence report hinting at the nexus among the mafia, police and commercial taxes officials.

Buxar police also wanted Ashutosh. A police team from Rajepur in Buxar conducted a raid at his native village last January but in futile. "We have registered a case against him for his involvement in illegal transportation of coal," said Buxar superintendent of police Upendra Sharma.