Taking suo motu cognisance of the recent explosion in an alleged illegal coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district, which has reportedly claimed at least 18 lives, the Meghalaya High Court on Thursday came down heavily on local authorities and directed immediate arrests of those responsible.
A division bench of Justices H.S. Thangkhiew and W. Diengdoh, while expressing “grave concern” over the continuing illegal coal mining in the region, summoned the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police of East Jaintia Hills to appear before the Court on February 9 at 10:30 AM. The bench said it would pass further directions in case of non-compliance.
The Court took judicial notice of the explosion after reports appeared in the electronic media, stating that the blast occurred in the Thangsku area, which is suspected to be a hotspot for illegal mining. The bench noted with dismay that despite a similar incident on January 14, illegal mining had continued unabated, resulting in another tragedy.
“The loss of life in the present incident as well as the previous one highlights the continuing illegality and inaction of the authorities,” the Court observed.
The High Court has directed the following immediate measures:
- Identification and arrest of the mine owners and operators allegedly engaged in illegal mining.
- Seizure of incriminating materials found at or around the site.
- Provision of medical assistance and emergency relief to injured or affected persons.
- Submission of a detailed action taken report by the DC and SP, including an explanation of how illegal operations were allowed to continue.
The Court directed the Registry to send a copy of its order via email and hard copy to the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police of East Jaintia Hills on the same day. The Advocate General was also directed to be provided with a copy.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on February 9, with the bench making it clear that it expects concrete steps from the administration.
The Meghalaya coal belt, particularly in East Jaintia Hills, has long been plagued by illicit rat-hole mining, despite court orders and government claims of regulation. Thursday’s strong judicial response may signal a turning point in how such violations are handled moving forward.
