Rajasthan: Villagers protesting mining attacked, 6 hurt in stone-pelting, firing

Villagers protesting against alleged illegal mining in Rajasthan’s Ajitpura-Kujeta area were reportedly attacked with stones and fired upon by unidentified persons on Monday, 1 June, leaving at least six people injured, police said.

According to police, the violence erupted when residents resumed their agitation, which protesters said had entered its 300th day.

Some of the injured suffered bullet wounds and were taken to the government BDM Hospital in Kotputli. Two critically injured persons were later referred to Jaipur for specialised treatment, officials said.

Superintendent of police Satveer Singh said special teams had been constituted to identify and arrest those behind the attack. "The incident is serious, and those responsible will not be spared. Raids are being conducted to nab the accused," he said.

Police said tension prevailed in the area after the incident and additional personnel had been deployed to maintain law and order.

Officials said villagers had been protesting for months against mining activities in the area. The administration, assisted by police, had cleared the protest site on 29 May, but residents gathered there again on Monday, when the attack occurred.

Villagers, however, alleged that their repeated complaints over illegal mining, blasting operations and the movement of overloaded vehicles had gone unaddressed by the administration.

The protesters claimed that mining operations in the area were being run by a "mafia" enjoying political patronage. They further alleged that persons linked to the mining network had previously threatened and misbehaved with demonstrators.

The Ajitpura-Kujeta area in Rajasthan’s Kotputli-Behror district forms part of a limestone mining belt linked to cement production. Villagers in the region have repeatedly raised concerns over blasting, dust pollution, heavy truck movement and alleged damage to homes and local infrastructure.

With PTI inputs