Patna, March 2: A letter from RJD state president Ram Chandra Purbey to the director-general of police (DGP) defending a man the cops say is a key figure in the stone-mining mafia has created ripples in political and administrative circles.
Purbey wrote to DGP P.K. Thakur on January 20, seeking the top cop's intervention to "provide justice" to Ashutosh Singh (42), an RJD member who earlier served as state secretary. "He has been implicated in false cases because of a political conspiracy," said Purbey's letter, a copy of which is with The Telegraph.
Ashutosh, a resident of Hathni village in Rohtas district, was arrested from an area under the jurisdiction of Nokha police station in Rohtas on February 28 while trying to get the driver of a stone chips-laden truck released from police custody. He is accused of exerting pressure on the cops and threatening them with dire consequences.
The government has banned stone mining since 2013, and the police say Ashutosh is the kingpin of an interstate syndicate that helps stone-chip laden trucks escape the crackdown as part of a well-lubricated mining racket in the Rohtas-Kaimur region.
Ashutosh, who is accused of causing revenue loss worth crores to the state exchequer through his syndicate, was on the radar of the economic offences unit (EOU) ever since the EOU was told to probe alleged links of stone-quarrying mafia with police and officials of the commercial taxes and transport departments.
Sources said Ashutosh met Purbey after an FIR was lodged with the Dehri police station in Rohtas on the statement of station house officer (SHO) I.C. Vidyasagar on January 13.
In the FIR, the SHO said documents pertaining to vehicles run by the syndicate were seized from Ashutosh's associates Mukku Singh and Guddu Singh. Ashutosh and another associate Vinay Singh had managed to escape.
Rohtas superintendent of police (SP) Manavjeet Singh Dhillon said Ashutosh was interrogated before being sent to judicial custody after his arrest on Sunday, and that Ashutosh confessed that he was involved in the illegal trade for over a decade. "He is part of the illegal mining syndicate active in the districts bordering Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh," the SP said, adding that this is the first time Ashutosh has been arrested.
The SP said he has alerted police officials of neighbouring districts such as Kaimur and Buxar about Ashutosh's arrest. "If they (officials of other districts) want to interrogate him, they can take him on police remand," Dhillon said.
Ashutosh has been charged with extortion, assault or use of criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of official duty, criminal intimidation, etc.
After Purbey wrote to the DGP, the police headquarters forwarded the letter to inspector-general (Patna zone) Kundan Krishnan, who sent it to Shahabad range deputy inspector-general (DIG) Mohammad Rahman asking him to look into the allegations levelled against Ashutosh. The letter reached the DIG's office a fortnight ago.
"The letter has been dispatched to the SP concerned," said an officer at the DIG's office.
When approached for comment, RJD state spokesman Pragati Mehta defended Purbey. Mehta, who unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Lok Sabha poll from Munger, said: "He (Purbey) didn't mean to interfere in the police investigation. He just wanted to help him (Ashutosh) for being a member of the party. There is rule of law in Bihar and culprits, whoever they may be, will be dealt with sternly."
RJD Rohtas district unit president Vijay Mandal, however, distanced himself from Ashutosh.
"He (Ashutosh) is no longer associated with the party's district unit," Mandal told The Telegraph over the phone. "I have not ever seen him taking part in any party-related activities, though I am on the post for nine years."
Purbey could not be contacted. "He has gone to Delhi for his routine health check-up," said a relative.
A senior officer of the EOU - which functions under the DGP - said in Patna that a team would soon visit Rohtas to quiz Ashutosh, who is lodged in Sasaram divisional jail.
