Will probe sand mafia, harassment plaint: CMO

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s office on Wednesday assured alleged victims of harassment at the hands of the sand mafia that the State government would come to their aid.

One Manju, based in Canada, reached out to the CM on the micro-blogging site Twitter, claiming that their next-door neighbours in Lakkavalli village near Kabatur of Sorab taluk in Shivamogga district had been harassing their family.

The alleged victim said that their neighbours had developed ties with the sand mafia after gaining chairmanship of the Kabatur gram panchayat.

Opposition to parking of sand trucks near their house and consequential blocking of drains had led them to allegedly complain to the gram panchayat.

However, the nextdoor neighbours responded by allegedly beating up the complainant’s mother. Manju said that he could do little about it since he was based in Canada.

He added that an FIR had been registered but investigation hadn’t been initiated.

“Chief Minister has directed the police department to immediately initiate the investigation based on the complaint and take necessary action to ensure justice to the victim,” the official Twitter handle of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) replied to the complainant.