FIR Filed Against Stone Crusher Owned by Hamirpur MLA; Illegal Mining Allegations Spark Political Row

A criminal case has been registered against Mahadevi Stone Crusher, owned by Hamirpur MLA Ashish Sharma, at the Sujanpur police station. According to officials, an FIR (No. 77/25) was filed on December 4 against M/s Mahadevi Stone Crusher under Sections 379, 420, 468 and 120-B of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).

It has been learnt that the MLA has obtained interim bail, and the case has been listed for the next hearing on December 10.

The stone-crushing unit is accused of illegal mainlining and siphoning off royalty worth more than ₹36.60 lakh. The allegations also include misuse of ‘X’ and ‘W’ forms to facilitate the sale of mined material. In Himachal Pradesh, two types of mining permissions exist:

1. direct extraction and sale of material without crushing; and
2. extraction, transport to a crusher, crushing and then sale.

Investigators allege that between 2022–2023 and 2023–2024, the unit mined and transported 28,180 metric tonnes of material in violation of prescribed norms. Police further claim that in 2022 alone, 17,572 metric tonnes were produced and transported as per Form ‘G’, but corresponding royalty was not deposited. The alleged violations reportedly caused a loss of ₹36,60,160 to the state exchequer.

Superintendent of Police Balbir Singh Thakur said the investigation is underway and that adequate documentary evidence has been collected.

MLA Ashish Sharma, however, has denied all allegations, calling the FIR politically motivated. He stated that no wrongdoing was committed and announced plans to file a defamation case for damaging his reputation. “I will come out clean from all such fake and baseless cases,” he said.

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