In sharp contrast to his pre-election promise of taking strict action against illegal sand miners, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann transferred SSP Dhruman H Nimbale within a week after he busted a gang of illegal sand miners and made one of the biggest cash seizures of Rs 1.53 crore. The reshuffle of officers was announced on 2nd April 2022 according to which the IPS officer Dhruman H Nimbale has been posted to Muktasar. He was serving as the SSP of Hoshiarpur till now.
In eight years of his service, SSP Dhruman H Nimbale has been transferred 18 times. His last two transfers before this one took place when there was a Congress government in Punjab. Coincidentally these transfers also had a background of his strict action against the sand mafias. Before Hoshiarpur, he was posted in Tarn Taran and Moga. During his tenure as the SSP of Tarn Taran, Moga and Hoshiarpur, SSP Dhruman H Nimbale had ordered more than 100 FIRs against the illegal sand mining.
Modus operandi of Sand Mafias and SSP Nimbale’s action against them
SSP Dhruman H Nimbale had a very short tenure of working at Tarn Taran. He was SSP of Tarn Taran for five months. During this time, he took action against illegal sand mining. Trucks used to quarry from Ferozepur to Tarn Taran. These truckers used government slips meant for one truck to get a passage for more than twenty trucks. This practice caused a substantial loss of revenue to the government. Sand Mining Department has made it mandatory to upload the slip immediately on the website. But these crooks were not following the rule. Slips issued as early as in the month of April, were being used in the month of July in some cases. SSP Dhruman H Nimbale exposed this malpractice and booked cases against the illegal sand miners. He was then transferred to Moga.
In Moga, mining activities on the riverbed was a common practice by illegal sand miners. According to the rules, no mining from riverbed is allowed during the monsoon period (1st June to 31st August). SSP Dhruman H Nimbale lodged 13 FIRs and seized machines worth Rs 4 crore for violation of the rules. After less than two months of his tenure at Moga, he was transferred to Hoshiarpur in October 2021.
In the recent assembly elections of Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party got the majority and formed a government in Punjab. After the change of government, between 25th March and 27th March, Nimabale took very strict action against illegal sand miners and employees of sand mining firms who impersonated government officials. He is transferred to Muktsar as SSP.
Aam Aadmi Party’s pre-election promises
During campaigning for the Punjab assembly polls, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal had said that the actual investigation in illegal sand mining case will begin when Bhagwant Mann becomes Punjab chief minister.
Channi Sahab did an investigation on himself, when Bhagwant Mann will become CM, he will do a fair investigation on sand mining. When his relative has confessed that all the money belongs to Channi, why is ED not arresting him?: Delhi CM and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal pic.twitter.com/RGrC76N91a
— ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2022
But now when Bhagwant Mann has become the chief minister of Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party’s government transferred the IPS officer who cracked down on the illegal sand miners. Bhagwant Mann’s government in Punjab is taking such controversial steps with every coming day. It has not just transferred the officers but it also intends to transfer cities. The Punjab government recently moved a resolution in the assembly to immediately transfer Chandigarh to Punjab state. It is notable that Chandigarh is union territory and capital to both states Punjab and Haryana.
