Supreme Court Puts Hold on Jharkhand's Illegal Coal Mining Probe

The Supreme Court has stayed a Jharkhand High Court order demanding a CBI investigation into allegations of illegal coal mining involving state officials. The decision follows an appeal by Jharkhand government contesting the order based on a petition by Arup Chatterjee, accused in multiple cases.

The Supreme Court has intervened to halt a decree by the Jharkhand High Court that called for an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into presumed illegal coal mining activities implicating senior police and governmental authorities in the state, notably within the Dhanbad district.

The bench spearheaded by Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan requested a response from Arup Chatterjee, the petitioner who originally pursued this CBI inquiry. Chatterjee, a journalist, alleged police and government official involvement in illicit mining operations from dormant mines.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Jharkhand, challenged the high court's mandate, criticizing its origins from an individual engaged in multiple legal disputes. Emphasizing the withdrawal of general consent for CBI investigations in the state, Jharkhand's counsel aimed to stay the probe.

(With inputs from agencies.)