Meghalaya HC: Deploy 10 Companies of CAPF to Check Illegal Coal Transport

In a significant order, the Meghalaya High Court has directed the Union Home Ministry to deploy 10 companies of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) to put a check on the rampant illegal coal mining and transportation going on in Meghalaya.

“The Union Ministry of Home Affairs, through the Home Secretary, is directed to ensure the deployment of 10 companies of appropriate Central Armed Police Force to be commanded independently or jointly by officers from the local police that may be selected by the Court, strictly for the purpose of keeping a vigil on the roads and arresting the illegal transportation of illegally mined coal in the state,” a bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee said hearing a PIL on Wednesday.

The court asked the Home CAPF to be deployed after Deputy Solicitor General of India Dr Mozika informed the court that the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is unwilling to take up the assignment as the nature of the work does not fall within the usual activities undertaken by CISF. The court has asked the Home Ministry to report back on the action taken in the next hearing.

The court said it did not seek the deployment of CISF in particular, but in view of the fact that it wanted a more independent force to check the illegality since the Central Reserve Police Force are under the direct control of the state police. “The real intention of this court was for the local police not to be associated in the process since it had been ineffective in such regard, the CISF may be the appropriate force,” the order said.

The bench further said, “Rampant illegal mining of coal has continued in the state and such illegally mined coal has been allowed to be freely transported, even to the extent of being regularly exported to Bangladesh by possible false declarations that the coal originated elsewhere.”

The next hearing of the case is slated for April 27.