ED's fresh inspection reveals illegal mining still underway at Jharkhand CM aide's site in Sahebganj

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], April 7 : A fresh inspection at the illegal coal mining site at Nimbu Pahaad area in Jharkhand's Sahebganj, which was already under the Directorate of Enforcement's scanner, revealed various pieces of evidence that points to the fact that further extraction was underway.

The accused in the matter are Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's MLA representatives Pankaj Mishra; Bishnu Yadav and others, and the ED has been investigating the matter linked to illegal mining activities and subsequent money laundering against them.

Mishra was arrested earlier in the same illegal mining case and is currently in judicial custody.

The mining site situated at Mouza Siwria, Anchal Mandro was identified and inspected by a team of top officials on Wednesday, ED said on Friday.

Upon reaching the site, ED said it was discovered that the said mine was one of the several mining sites, earlier visited and inspected during a joint inspection with the officials of the ED in July 2022.

On earlier occasions, too, the officials, who inspected the site, had confirmed that it was illegally run by Pankaj Mishra and Bishnu Yadav.

Within a span of eight months, the central enforcement agency said the site has been further mined and was evident during the inspection.

"For further verification, the drone operators were requested to fly unmanned aerial devices to get the aerial view. Few officials also managed to get on the top of the illegal mining site. It was found that several fresh holes were made and explosives were inserted into it keeping the mines ready for fresh blasting," ED's Ranchi Zonal Office said in a letter to the Sahebganj Police.

"The local enquiry revealed that the mining in the said mines was being carried out during the night. Images were taken with the help of the drone camera. Fresh marks of the wheels of heavy vehicles or equipment connecting the mining sites to the main roads (Kutcha roads) were also visible. Marks indicating fresh use of pocklane excavators, earthmovers for excavation and dumping was visible on the mining site," it added.

Against that backdrop, the ED wrote to the local police authorities with relevant information and seeking necessary action.