Babulal Marandi, leader of the opposition in Jharkhand, has strongly criticized the state government, accusing it of manufacturing new crimes as a tactic to conceal existing illegal activities. Marandi asserted that fabricating incidents to hide deeper criminal enterprises has become a routine practice within the government and the state’s enforcement apparatus. Recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) actions targeting the ‘black empire’ of coal in Dhanbad have reportedly uncovered disturbing truths. The situation is exacerbated by credible reports suggesting that ‘key police figures,’ whose fortunes are allegedly built on illegal coal dealings, have given ‘targets’ to their own operatives to ‘permanently remove’ lower-level operatives. This alleged conspiracy is believed to be a direct response to the ED’s investigation, aiming to eliminate individuals who could testify. Marandi recalled the state’s history, mentioning past cases where ‘evidence was encountered’ through staged police shootouts. He specifically cited accusations against a former Director General of Police regarding contract killings and unprecedented corruption, claims even echoed by ruling party members. Marandi urged the ED to be exceptionally vigilant, stating that truth-tellers are suppressed while those who conceal it thrive. He concluded that when political authority, bureaucratic systems, and criminal organizations operate in unison, the subversion of justice becomes inevitable.
