On Thursday, the Jharkhand High Court ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged collusion between police officers and the coal mafia in Dhanbad. The directive came from Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi, who highlighted the serious nature of the allegations involving illegal coal mining and sales within the district.
The case, initiated by a local journalist through his news channel, claimed to expose the illicit coal operations and the involvement of specific police personnel. This led Justice Dwivedi to conclude that the central probe agency should take over to ensure a thorough investigation.
In his remarks, Justice Dwivedi also criticized the state government’s late intervention, deeming it “unjustified” as it occurred after deliberations were already concluded. The court’s decision, which was pronounced in the courtroom, will be detailed further once it is officially uploaded to the high court’s website.
The journalist’s petition specifically named a Dhanbad police officer, alleging direct ties with the coal mafia. This officer, identified as Chatterjee, had previously been detained in relation to multiple cases, underscoring the gravity of the accusations.
The high court’s move has been lauded by Babulal Marandi, the state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Marandi expressed confidence that the CBI investigation would uncover the truth behind the alleged nexus. He criticized the current JMM-led coalition government, accusing it of unprecedented levels in coal theft and ignoring his repeated alerts on the matter.
