Babulal Marandi, the Leader of the Opposition in Jharkhand, has levied a serious accusation against the state government: that it is orchestrating the creation of new crimes to conceal existing ones. He believes this practice has become normalized within the government and the state’s systemic framework. The recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) operations targeting the extensive coal mafia network in Dhanbad have revealed startling evidence of corruption. A particularly alarming development is the reported instruction from high-ranking police officials, allegedly benefiting financially from the coal trade, to ‘permanently remove’ specific individuals associated with the mafia. The stated purpose is to prevent these individuals from providing information to the ED. Reports suggest that those currently under ED scrutiny are facing threats and are being targeted for elimination to ensure that the truth remains buried. Marandi pointed out that the strategy of staging ‘evidence encounters’ to silence inconvenient individuals has been employed in Jharkhand before. He alluded to a past Director General of Police who was allegedly involved in contract killings and rampant corruption, facing condemnation even from ruling party members. The ED must operate with extreme vigilance, as the environment in Jharkhand is geared towards suppressing truth, not uncovering it. When governmental authority, law enforcement agencies, and criminal syndicates operate in collusion, the process of justice is easily compromised.
