NSA against mining don Momnanthan's son too, says Noida admin

Noida administration Thursday invoked the National Security Act against the son of sand mining don Sanjay Momnathan, in a rare case in which a father-son duo has been booked under the tough law that prevents bail to accused.

Bhupendra Momnathan, 28, has been operating the illegal businesses of his father Sanjay Momnathan, who is presently in jail and was booked under the NSA last year for illegally constructing a dam on the Yamuna River to carry out illegal sand mining, officials said.

The action was taken by District Magistrate Brajesh Narain Singh, following a report by district police chief Vaibhav Krishna and the Irrigation Department, they said.

 

Bhupendra is currently held under judicial custody at the Dadri police station and his bail plea is scheduled to come up for hearing on June 12 at the Allahabad High Court, Singh said.

"There is a high probability of the accused getting bail and then again engaging in illegal activities and may again target the Yamuna River to construct illegal dams or structures on it to facilitate his illegal sand mining business," he said.

"His actions, if he does it, are likely to cause major revenue loss to the state, devastate marine ecology and natural flow of Yamuna and impact the lives of the people settled near the river banks," Singh said addressing a press conference with SSP Krishna.

"All this would very likely disturb public order," Singh said, adding that Bhupendra has been a very close associate of his father and the heir of his illegal trades.

Bhupendra has at least 15 criminal cases registered at various police stations in the district, including those for illegal arms, mining, robbery, Gangsters Act, rioting, damage to public property, among others.

"Noida and Greater Noida are industrial cities. Such actions against all kinds of mafia would be continued in Gautam Buddh Nagar. Tough action would be ensured against those harming the industrial growth, or causing harm to ecology and socio-economy here," Singh told PTI.

On August 28, 2018 the district administration had for the first time invoked the NSA against any sand mafia when it had pressed charges under section 2/3 of the NSA against Sanjay Momnathan, 48.

He had a well organised gang which had created a dam on Yamuna on July 11. The illegal construction, which had obstructed the natural flow of the river, was used by them to take heavy machine to the other side of the Yamuna and collect sand illegally, officials had said.