Ranchi, Oct 3 (PTI) The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday directed the CBI to take over the investigation into the role of police officers in Dhanbad, alleged to have been involved in the illegal mining and sale of coal in the district.
Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi, while pronouncing his judgement in a case filed by a journalist, said the allegations leveled in the petition are fit to be investigated by the central probe agency.
Justice Dwivedi said the action of the state government of filing a petition after the order was reserved is also unjustified.
The journalist, through his news channel, had allegedly exposed how coal is being illegally mined and sold.
In his petition, he had also named a police officer of Dhanbad for allegedly being hand in glove with the coal mafia.
Chatterjee was earlier implicated in several cases due to which he was taken into custody.
The order was pronounced in the courtroom, and is yet to be uploaded on the high court's website.
Meanwhile, BJP state president Babulal Marandi hailed the high court decision, contending that a CBI probe into the matter will bring out the truth.
Marandi alleged that the ruling JMM-led coalition had “broken all records” in coal theft, and he had repeatedly drawn the attention of the state government towards this, but to no avail.