Udupi: The fight for relaxation of sand mining norms turned tragic when one of the protesters died of cardiac arrest, on October 26.
The deceased person has been identified as Mohammed Haneef (42) from Hejamady. It is said that he had borrowed a loan of Rs six lakhs to buy two country boats and to make a deck on the river side to extract sand. Restrictions on sand mining and his financial situation had left him tense. He was also under immense pressure from money lenders too.
Sand Fighting Committee of Udupi district, along with other organizations are on an indefinite agitation against the government in front of Udupi Deputy Commissioner’s office at Manipal since Thursday, October 25.
Mohammed Haneef was one of the persons who took part in the protest. It is said that he collapsed when officials said that his sand deck falls in a sensitive zone. Though he was rushed to Manipal for treatment, he could not be saved.
He is survived by his wife and three children. He was living in a rented house. The protesters have demanded compensation for the family of Haneef.