A serious accusation has been leveled against the Jharkhand state government, alleging a deliberate effort to create new crimes to conceal existing offenses. Opposition leader Babulal Marandi stated that fabricating new criminal incidents to cover up the reality has become a disturbing pattern for the government and the system. Recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) actions in the coal sector of Dhanbad have brought to light alarming evidence. Most concerning is the revelation that high-ranking police officials, allegedly benefiting from illegal coal earnings, have issued ‘elimination targets’ for lower-level operatives of coal mafias. This is reportedly being done to silence those who could expose the truth. There are credible reports suggesting that individuals being interrogated by the ED are now targets of murder plots, aimed at preventing the revelation of sensitive information. This tactic, where ‘encountering evidence’ is disguised as apprehending criminals, is not unprecedented in the state. Jharkhand has previously witnessed a Director General of Police accused of orchestrating encounters for hire, an official widely criticized by ruling party members as the most corrupt in the state’s history. The ED is urged to exercise extreme caution, as in this environment, it is those who suppress truth, not those who speak it, who wield influence. When power, the system, and criminal elements align, the subversion of justice becomes a mere formality.
