The Jharkhand government is facing severe criticism from opposition leader Babulal Marandi, who claims the administration is fabricating criminal incidents to conceal its ties to the coal mafia. Marandi, also the state president of the BJP, stated that creating new offenses has become a standard operating procedure for the government and its machinery in Jharkhand. Recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids in Dhanbad’s coal sector have exposed alarming realities. The most disturbing revelation is that top police officials, reportedly benefiting from the illegal coal trade, have allegedly commissioned the elimination of their ground-level operatives involved in the mafia’s operations. This is seen as a move to ensure that crucial evidence does not surface.
There are credible reports that individuals currently under ED questioning are being targeted for murder, with the intention of preventing them from revealing sensitive information. Marandi recalled that the state has a history of orchestrating ‘evidence encounters’ under the guise of police action. He cited the example of a former DGP who faced accusations of orchestrating contract killings and setting new benchmarks for corruption, with even ruling party figures leveling these charges. He urged the ED to proceed with extreme caution, highlighting that in Jharkhand, suppressing the truth often leads to power, and when the state apparatus, its systems, and criminal syndicates work in unison, justice is easily undermined.