SHILLONG, JULY 6: The Meghalaya High Court on Thursday has asked the Director General of Police (DGP) of Assam to ensure safety and security to the petitioners, their families and lawyers after threats received from kingpins involved in the operation of illegal coal mining and illegal coke oven plants in Meghalaya.
In its order, the full bench said, “In the meantime, in view of the apparent threat received by the petitioner and a similar allegation being made by the petitioner in PIL No.8 of 2022, since the relevant petitioners ordinarily reside in Assam, the Director-General of Police, Assam is requested to take appropriate steps through the officers-in-charge of the local police stations and the Superintendents of Police of the relevant districts to ensure the safety and security of the petitioners, their family members and lawyers representing such petitioners.”
One of the petitioners Shailender Kumar Sharma had furnished in his affidavit filed on July 5, the names and phone numbers of all persons who he described as “kingpins” involved in illegal coke plants and illegal coal mining in the state of Meghalaya.
The bench has also directed the Assam police chief to look into the complaint filed by Sharma on June 30.
Sharma had submitted a complaint lodged in the Basistha Police Station, Guwahati on June 30, to the effect that one Balwant Bhama, an alleged kingpin in the illegal operations of coke plants in Meghalaya, had called the petitioner twice on the morning of June 30, and thereafter physically called at the petitioner’s residence shortly after 10:30 am to threaten the petitioner with dire consequences if the petitioner pursued the present petition.
The Advocate-General appearing for the State of Meghalaya also informed that a confidential communication has been made with the police authorities in Assam to take appropriate steps against persons based in Assam who may be the masterminds behind the illegal operation of coal-mining and coke oven plants in the State of Meghalaya.
The bench also stated that it is unfortunate that the machinery in the State, be it the administration or the police, have been lacking in taking appropriate steps to arrest the illegal mining of coal in the State despite orders in such regard having been passed by the National Green Tribunal since or about 2016 and affirmed by the Supreme Court by 2019.
Repeated orders have been passed in the present and the connected proceedings, particularly in the suo motu proceedings instituted by the Court, for the last 15 months; but to no effect, it added.
By Our Reporter
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