Punjab illegal mining crackdown leads to heavy machinery seizures and arrest

Punjab authorities have intensified law enforcement operations against illegal mining across the state, seizing heavy machinery, commercial tippers and hundreds of cubic feet of illegally extracted sand and gravel during four targeted raids in Pathankot, Kapurthala and Sri Anandpur Sahib.

Mining and Geology Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal confirmed that enforcement teams and police units carried out the coordinated strikes to curb unauthorised mineral extraction, enforce statutory regulations and protect state natural resources.

Seizures and legal action across key districts

In Jaswan village in Pathankot district, a late-night operation led to the seizure of a Poklain excavator along with a tipper vehicle carrying approximately 400 cubic feet of gravel. Police registered a case at Taragarh Police Station under the Mines and Minerals Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Department officials noted that the facility, Trehan Stone Crusher, registered under Navjot Singh, had been officially suspended in May 2026. However, operators allegedly continued extraction using back-up generators and misinformed buyers regarding official approval.

In Kapurthala district, a joint team from the Mining Department's flying squad and local police raided Khijarpur village, seizing six tippers, a Poklain machine and a tractor. Two of the seized tippers were loaded with roughly 800 cubic feet of sand each. Police filed a First Information Report against Jalandhar resident Mical and five other named individuals, resulting in one arrest.

Emergency response following Sangrur road accident

Separately, local administrative teams in Sangrur district responded to a road accident along Jakhal Road near Alisher village in Lehragaga, where a speeding car struck a group of rural employment scheme workers.

Sangrur Deputy Commissioner Poonamdeep Kaur confirmed that eight MGNREGA workers lost their lives in the collision and 12 others sustained injuries. District authorities immediately deployed emergency support to ensure all injured individuals received medical treatment at a government hospital, while law enforcement officers opened a formal investigation into the vehicle driver.