SRINAGAR, APRIL 28: Police have registered an FIR against two individuals involved in illegal sand mining within the forested region of Chalyan village, located in the Charar-e-Sharief area of District Budgam. The action was taken following a formal complaint filed by the Doodh Ganga Forest Range, Chadoora.
The accused—Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Chera Khal Watkaloo under the jurisdiction of Police Station Charar-e-Sharief, and Bashir Ahmad Wagay, a resident of Chowdhary Gund, Chadoora—were allegedly engaged in the unauthorized extraction of sand and clay from forest land in the Darwan and Chalyan areas of the Doodh Ganga Forest Range. Reports indicate the use of a JCB machine for excavation over an extended period.
Authorities suspect the duo intensified their activities during the recent Pahalgam killings, taking advantage of the police and administration being preoccupied with maintaining law and order during the tragedy. An FIR (No. 26/2025, dated 28.04.2025) has been lodged at Police Station Charar-e-Sharief under Section 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 26 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, for theft and destruction of forest property.
Dr. Raja Muzaffar Bhat, a noted environmental activist who had raised this issue on social media and authored a detailed article highlighting the illegal activity, welcomed the action. “I am grateful to the DFO Pir Panjal Forest Division Budgam, the Range Officer, and the SHO Charar-e-Sharief for registering the FIR against the accused. I also appreciate Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Irfan Rasool for personally intervening in the matter. It is shameful that such criminals chose to loot forest land while the entire country was mourning the massacre of 28 tourists. The accused must be held accountable, and their JCB and tipper should be confiscated. Officials from the Geology and Mining Department must also be held responsible, and environmental compensation should be recovered from them,” Dr. Muzaffar stated.