Supreme Court Defers Jharkhand Illegal Mining Probe Hearing

The Supreme Court postponed by two weeks the hearing of Jharkhand's plea against a CBI probe into illegal mining in Sahibganj. The court previously allowed the CBI investigation but stopped any chargesheet filing. The state challenges the probe's legitimacy under the DSPE Act.

The Supreme Court has postponed for two weeks the hearing of a plea by the Jharkhand government challenging a high court decision that ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into allegations of illegal mining in Sahibganj district.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, listed the matter for further hearing after two weeks, following a previous decision on May 3 that permitted the investigation to proceed but restrained the CBI from filing a chargesheet without additional orders.

Jharkhand's appeal, presented by advocates Kapil Sibal and Arunabh Chowdhury, argues that the CBI's involvement, ordered by the high court, disregarded mandatory state consent as required under the DSPE Act, rendering the investigation's foundation unlawful.

(With inputs from agencies.)