High Court halts CBI probe into Illegal Mining in Sahibganj

Ranchi: In a recent development, the High Court has issued a stay order on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation into the alleged illegal mining activities at Lemon Mountain in Sahibganj district. The state government had approached the court, filing a petition against the CBI probe. Justice Rajesh Kumar’s court has granted the stay on the investigation following the state government’s appeal. Notable figures such as senior advocate Kapil Sibal, Advocate General Rajeev Ranjan, and Piyush Chitresh represented the state government, while Additional Solicitor General (ASGI) Anil Kumar argued on behalf of the CBI.

The CBI’s involvement in the investigation dates back to November 2023, with DSP Krishna Kumar Singh leading the probe. The First Information Report (FIR) filed by the CBI named Barhait MLA representative and the main accused in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case, Pankaj Mishra, along with businessman Vishnu Kumar Yadav, Pavitar Kumar Yadav, Sahibganj District Council Vice President Rajesh Yadav, Sanjay Kumar Yadav, Bachchu Yadav, Sanjay Yadav, Suvesh Mandal, and others.
The CBI’s case originated from a complaint filed by Vijay Hansda at the Muffasil police station of Sahibganj and the case 6/22 registered by Vijay Hansda at the ST-SC police station of Sahibganj. The accused individuals face charges under relevant sections of the Jharkhand Mines and Minerals Act, Arms Act, and ST-SC Act. The High Court’s decision to halt the CBI investigation marks a significant turn of events in this ongoing legal battle.