Madhya Pradesh IAS Officer Claims Threat To Life From Mining Mafia

The police have provided additional security to a woman Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer posted in Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh, after she claimed threat to her life from the sand mining mafia.

Additional district magistrate Sonia Meena, a 2013-batch IAS officer, has written to the chief secretary B P Singh, stating that she has learnt that Arjun Singh Bundela, lodged in Chhatarpur jail, is planning an attack on her.

"We have increased security given to Meena who is also the district panchayat's chief executive officer," Umaria collector Abhishek Singh told PTI.

Ms Meena couldn't be contacted for comments.

During her posting as a sub-divisional magistrate in Chhatarpur district's Rajnagar area, Ms Meena had taken action against illegal sand mining following Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's directions.During one of the raids on 6/2/2017 (against mining mafia) I and my guard were attacked and threatened at gunpoint by a man called Arjun Singh Bundela," said her letter to the chief secretary, written on June 11.

Following the incident, Bundela was arrested.

"I have learnt from reliable sources that the accused is conspiring to attack me again through his henchmen....I fear for my life," the letter said.

Bundela has a long criminal record and has been accused of attempt to murder among other offences, she said.

Ms Meena also said in the letter that the attack, which had been reported, is coming up for hearing at the special court in Chhatarpur where "I have to appear as a witness during which I apprehend danger to my life".