AJP demands judicial probe; arrest of DC, SP, DFO, and MD of AMDCL

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJanuary 8, 2025

The state’s regional political party, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), has accused the state government of attempting to cover up the Umrangso coal mine tragedy by targeting minor culprits while shielding the larger coal smuggling syndicate allegedly operating under political and administrative patronage.

The police recently arrested Punish Nunisa, the mine’s alleged owner and a cousin of Konika Hojaia, wife of Dima Hasao Autonomous Council (DHAC) Chief Executive Member (CEM) Debolal Gorlosa. Nunisa has been charged under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, with an FIR registered under Umrangso PS case no. 02/2025.

In a strongly worded statement, AJP President Lurinjyoti Gogoi and General Secretary Jagadish Bhuyan criticized the government for what they called a “diversionary tactic” to mislead the public.

“The arrest of a proxy culprit is a blatant attempt to conceal the corruption surrounding the coal smuggling racket. This racket has flourished in Assam for years with active collusion from politicians and bureaucrats,” the AJP leaders said.

They further alleged the involvement of major cement companies, including Dalmia Cement, Vinay Cement, Topcem Cement, and Star Cement, in illegal mining operations, demanding that these entities be brought under scrutiny.

The AJP highlighted that rat-hole coal mining, banned by both the Supreme Court of India and the National Green Tribunal (NGT), continues unabated in districts like Tinsukia, Karbi Anglong, and Dima Hasao. They accused authorities of allowing illegal coal transportation along Assam’s highways, reflecting a blatant disregard for the law.

The AJP has called for a high-level judicial probe to uncover the full extent of the scandal. They also demanded the immediate arrest of key officials allegedly complicit in the illegal operations, including District Commissioner (DC), Superintendent of Police (SP), Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), and Managing Director of Assam Mineral Development Corporation Ltd (AMDCL), Natarajan Anand, IFS.

The AJP leaders accused Natarajan Anand of illegally issuing transport challans for coal from Tinsukia, Karbi Anglong, and Dima Hasao over the past three years, enabling the sale of millions of tons of coal to major companies.

Photographic and video evidence from Umrangso, according to the AJP, confirms active rat-hole mining in open defiance of Supreme Court and NGT directives. Gogoi and Bhuyan alleged that the authorities arrested a relative of DHAC CEM Debolal Gorlosa as a scapegoat to distract from systemic corruption.

“This level of large-scale coal mining and defiance of Supreme Court orders could not occur without the government’s tacit approval,” they asserted.

The AJP held Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accountable for failing to act decisively.

“If the Chief Minister is unaware of these illegal activities, why has he not ordered the arrest of district officials and AMDCL’s director? This inaction only reinforces the belief that the government is complicit in the illegal coal mining syndicate,” they said.

The AJP leaders concluded by reiterating the urgency of dismantling the coal smuggling network and holding all responsible parties accountable. They warned that the government’s credibility and commitment to enforcing the law remain at stake.