Bhopal | May 18, 2015: Police on Monday sought details from Rewa district's mining department on the action taken against illegal mining, a day after a police officer sustained injuries while trying to escape an attempt to crush him under an excavator machine at an illegal mining site.

Additional superintendent of police (ASP) Pranay Nagvanshi, who is leading the probe into the matter, said preliminary investigation suggested that illegal mining had been taking place for the past several months.

"We have written to the district mining department and asked if they have taken action against this illegal mining site," he told HT over the phone.

He said the JCB machine and the truck, which were seized from the spot, did not have the registration numbers.

"We have also sent the chassis and engine numbers of both the vehicles to the Regional Transport Office (RTO), seeking information about the owners of the vehicle," he said.

He said a campaign against illegal mining would be held across the district.

Sunday's incident in Rewa district comes close on heels of the death of a police constable in Morena district, who was killed when a sand-carrying truck he was attempting to stop toppled on its side and crushed him.

According to the police, the dead DP Singh, in-charge of Sirmaur police station of Rewa district, was on patrol duty with his team at night when he noticed the mining work being carried out at Umri village. He then called out to the JCB driver.

But the JCB driver Manoj Sahu attempted to crush Singh and escaped from the spot, leaving the JCB behind.

(Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/)