Patna, Aug 29 Police in Bihar's Jamui have registered an FIR against unknown persons for stealing boulders from an embankment of the Gamohar canal.
The incident came to light in the knowledge of the Minor Irrigation department on August 10 and its assistant engineer Dharmendra Kumar Bharti lodged a departmental complaint with Sikandra police station.
However, according to an official, the district police did not take the matter seriously till August 20.
When the matter came to the knowledge of District Magistrate Awanish Kumar Singh on August 23, he directed the police to investigate. Following that, ASI Yogendra Kumar Yadav reached Kumar village and found big stones were being stolen in broad daylight using earth mover machines, tractors and trucks.
Police suspected that the strongmen of Kumar village were involved in stealing the big stones having a current market price of more than Rs 30 lakh. Such an incident was taking place for the last 1 month.
The Minor Irrigation Department had placed the boulders and concretised them in 2010-11 at the cost of Rs 9.70 lakh to make it work like an embankment to avoid flooding.
The boulders were accumulated at vacant land and transported through trucks to Kunda Ghat dam.
Following the incident, Circle Officer Krishna Kumar Saurav, SHO Sikandara Vijay Kumar, investigating officer Jay Prakash Tiwari and others reached Kunda Ghat dam and inspected the area.
"We will conduct forensic examination of the clay contained on big stones found at Kunda Ghat dam and match them with the clay of Gamohar canal. The department has collected the samples. Action will be taken after the report," the Circle Officer said.
"We have learnt that boulders were stolen from Gamohar canal. The District Magistrate has been asked to investigate the incident. After the investigation, we will take action against the accused," Building Construction and Minor Irrigation Minister Ashok Chaudhary said.
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