Jharkhand’s ‘Coalgate’ Scandal: Govt Accused of Protecting Mafia

A grave accusation has been leveled against the Jharkhand government by Babulal Marandi, the BJP state president and Leader of Opposition. He claims the government is actively fabricating new criminal cases to shield the powerful coal mafia operating within the state. Marandi asserted that the state and its administrative machinery have resorted to creating fabricated offenses as a tactic to conceal the depth of criminal activities. Recent ED raids in Dhanbad, targeting the region’s coal operations, have brought to light startling revelations. More concerning is the intelligence suggesting that some ‘influential police officers,’ purportedly benefiting from the illegal coal trade, have issued directives to the mafia to permanently eliminate their associates who are cooperating with the investigation. The alleged motive behind these plots is to prevent any truth from surfacing, especially concerning individuals being interrogated by the ED. This tactic echoes historical events in Jharkhand where ‘encounter killings’ were allegedly used to eliminate witnesses and destroy evidence. Marandi recalled a past DGP whose tenure was marred by allegations of contract killings and egregious corruption, even drawing criticism from within the ruling coalition. He stressed the need for the ED to remain exceptionally vigilant, noting that in Jharkhand, suppressing truth, not revealing it, is rewarded. When political power, law enforcement, and organized crime become intertwined, justice is effectively compromised.