In a serious accusation, BJP State President and Leader of Opposition, Babulal Marandi, has alleged that the Jharkhand government is creating new crimes to conceal existing ones. Marandi stated that fabricating new offenses to hide criminal activities has become a systemic habit in the state. Recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) actions in the coal sector of Dhanbad have unearthed startling evidence of a ‘coal mafia’ operating with impunity. The most alarming revelation is the alleged directive from some ‘top police officials,’ reportedly benefiting from illicit coal earnings, to eliminate key ground operatives of these coal mafias permanently. The motive behind this alleged ‘hit list’ appears to be silencing individuals being interrogated by the ED, thereby preventing the truth from surfacing. Marandi drew a parallel to past incidents where ‘encountering evidence’ under the guise of apprehending criminals occurred. He referenced a former Director General of Police (DGP) in Jharkhand who faced accusations of orchestrating extrajudicial killings for hire, and of being the most corrupt DGP in the state’s history, with even members of the ruling party leveling corruption charges against him. Marandi urged the ED to exercise extreme caution, emphasizing that in Jharkhand, those who suppress the truth, not those who speak it, hold power. When power, the system, and criminal elements align, the subversion of justice becomes a mere formality.
