The Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday levied a penalty of Rs 50,000 on Sahibganj Deputy Commissioner Ram Niwas Yadav for improperly cancelling a mining licence. The court found that the deputy commissioner overstepped his authority by annulling the licence when it was still legally effective.
The issue came to light after the affected mining company challenged the deputy commissioner’s decision to cancel its mining licence dated September 8, 2023. The company argued that the cancellation was arbitrary and lacked legal basis, prompting them to seek judicial intervention.
During the proceedings, the High Court scrutinized the circumstances under which the licence was cancelled and concluded that the deputy commissioner did not possess the legal authority to terminate the lease prematurely.
In its ruling, the High Court not only imposed the fine as a punitive measure but also extended the liberty to the mining company to pursue further legal action in civil court to recover any dues that may have resulted from this wrongful cancellation.
