A serious accusation has been leveled against the Jharkhand government, alleging that it is creating new crimes to conceal existing criminal activities. Babu Lal Marandi, the state BJP president and Leader of the Opposition, stated that this practice has become a disturbing habit for the government and the system in Jharkhand. Recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) actions in the coal mafia’s domain in Dhanbad have unearthed shocking evidence. More alarming is the revelation that some high-ranking police officials, benefiting from the illicit earnings from coal, have allegedly tasked coal mafia operatives with eliminating their own ground-level associates permanently. This sinister plot aims to prevent crucial information from reaching the ED during their ongoing investigations. There are credible reports that individuals being questioned by the ED are being targeted for assassination to ensure the truth remains buried. This tactic of staging ‘encounter killings’ in the guise of apprehending criminals to destroy evidence is not unprecedented in the state. Jharkhand has a history with an alleged criminal Director General of Police (DGP) accused of orchestrating ‘supari’ killings and encounters, with allegations of unprecedented corruption against him even from within the ruling party. The ED must exercise extreme caution. In this environment, it is those who suppress the truth, not those who speak it, who hold sway. When power, the system, and criminal elements align, the subversion of justice becomes a mere formality.
