Illegal Coal Mining: Meghalaya High Court Requests Assam DGP To Protect Petitioners From Alleged Kingpins

The Meghalaya High Court has requested the Director-General of Police (DGP) of Assam to ensure the safety and security of the petitioners, their family members and lawyers representing such petitioners in PILs complaining of illegal coal mining.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justices HS Thangkhiew and W. Diengdoh was earlier informed that illegal coal mine operators are mostly based in Assam. On Thursday, the petitioner appearing in one such PIL before the Court alleged that he was threatened by a coal mafia via phone and even physically at his residence in Assam, to dissuade him from pursuing the matter.

The Court then found that son of the alleged mafia was recently arrested by the Meghalaya Police. "It is, thus, evident that the petitioner has not plucked the names out of thin air and there may be some basis to the petitioner identifying the kingpins or some of them who are involved in the illegal coal mining and the use of such illegally-mined coal in the coke plants in the State", the Court remarked while asking the Assam DGP to take appropriate steps through local police stations and district superintendents of police.

The court also emphasized on the need for a comprehensive investigation into the illegal mining of coal, transportation, the use of illegally-mined coal, operation of unauthorized coke oven plants, and the unchecked movement of overloaded vehicles on state highways.

At this juncture, the Advocate-General for Meghalaya submitted that a confidential communication has been made to the police authorities in Assam to take appropriate steps against alleged kingpins.

The court has now scheduled the next hearing for July 13.

Case Title: Shailendra Kumar Sharma Vs State of Meghalaya & ors

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