New Delhi: A 35-year-old forest guard was fatally run over by a tractor-trolley allegedly operated by illegal sand miners in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena district, prompting the Supreme Court to schedule a hearing on related legal action next week.
The incident occurred on Wednesday morning near Ranpur village on National Highway-552, approximately 20 km from the district headquarters. The guard, identified as Harkesh Gurjar, was part of a patrol team attempting to stop the sand-laden vehicle when the driver allegedly ran him over, killing him instantly.
The matter was mentioned before a Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, which is hearing a suo motu case titled In Re: Illegal sand mining in the National Chambal Sanctuary and threat to endangered aquatic wildlife. The counsel representing the apex court-appointed amicus curiae filed a fresh interlocutory application (IA) to bring the guard’s death to the court’s notice. The Bench agreed to hear the plea on April 13, ahead of the scheduled May 11 hearing of the main case.
The National Chambal Sanctuary, spread over 5,400 sq km across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, is home to several endangered species including the gharial, red-crowned roof turtle, and Ganges river dolphin. The sanctuary has been under scrutiny for rampant illegal sand mining, which has reportedly destroyed habitats critical to aquatic wildlife.
