Shillong, Feb 23: The Meghalaya High Court on Wednesday directed the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP) to file an independent report into the alleged illegal coal mining in the state.
“An independent report should be filed by the Chief Secretary to the State and the Director General of Police when this matter appears a week hence, preferably, upon visiting the areas,” said the division bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice W Diengdoh, in its order.
The court has taken cognizance of reports and the complaint filed by the Nokma of Nengchigen against certain persons, including the police, alleging widespread illegal mining of coal within the clan lands. The court has also threatened to appoint a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate into the alleged illegal coal racket in the state.
“It is made clear that the matter complained of needs to be looked into, without any political interference; or else, the Court may be constrained to appoint a fact-finding committee or even put a special investigation team in place or take the assistance of some agency so that the matter is appropriately and thoroughly investigated in accordance with law and the persons involved are brought to book,” the order said.
The next hearing has been fixed on March 2.
