Kolkata, Oct. 4 -- The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the multi-crore sand and stone mining scam in Birbhum made a major breakthrough on Saturday night by arresting Sabyasachi Mondal, former Block Land and Land Reforms Officer (BLRO) of Mohammadbazar in Birbhum.
Mondal, who is currently serving as a Land Acquisition Officer at the Jhargram Collectorate, was taken into custody after hours of interrogation. Investigators said he was arrested after allegedly giving inconsistent and evasive answers about his tenure as Mohammadbazar BLRO between 2022 and 2025.
According to sources, Mondal is accused of colluding with absconding syndicate kingpin Md Nazibuddin alias Tulu Mondal. The SIT alleges that during his posting as BLRO, Mondal misused his official position to facilitate the illegal extraction and transportation of sand and stone, causing substantial losses to the state exchequer.
He allegedly bypassed mandatory regulatory checks and helped the syndicate's operations run smoothly. Investigators also allege that Mondal generated and circulated fake Duplicate Carbon Receipts (DCRs), enabling the illegal network to pass off its operations as legitimate trade.
Mondal was produced before the Suri court on Sunday, with the SIT seeking his police remand.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.