This Article is From Aug 02, 2013

With Durga Shakti Nagpal, he fought sand mining mafia, was attacked and transferred

With Durga Shakti Nagpal, he fought sand mining mafia, was attacked and transferred
Lucknow: The suspension of IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal has been attacked by her supporters and other bureaucrats as retribution for her efforts to check illegal sand mining in Greater Noida near Delhi.

Now, it turns out that on July 25, two days before Ms Nagpal was removed as Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar, another senior bureaucrat was transferred from the region.

Ashish Kumar, as the District Mining Officer, had collaborated with Ms Nagpal to impound trucks carrying illegal sand from leaving the region. The police have confirmed that in February, Mr Kumar and his juniors were attacked with sticks in a village when they halted a convoy of 13 tractors carrying illegally mined sand.

Later, the police say, six people were arrested for the attack.

Mr Kumar has been moved to Bulandshahr in western Uttar Pradesh.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has defended his decision to suspend Ms Nagpal. He says she endangered communal harmony by ordering the demolition of a wall being built for a new mosque. However, an inquiry ordered by his government found that to be untrue. The young IAS officer, had, in fact, acted under the instructions of a superior, in this case the district magistrate. The report that cleared Ms Napgal of the charges against her was disregarded by the government.

A video that surfaced today shows Narendra Bhati, a member of the chief minister's party bragging that it took just one call from him to Mr Yadav to have Ms Napgal suspended "in just 41 minutes." (Read)
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