State President of the BJP and Leader of Opposition, Babulal Marandi, has accused the Jharkhand government of fabricating criminal incidents as a smokescreen for their alleged involvement in deeper corruption. Marandi insists that the government and its operational framework have normalized the creation of new crimes to conceal existing ones. The ongoing ED investigation into the entrenched coal mafia in Dhanbad has yielded substantial and concerning evidence. A particularly sinister development, Marandi pointed out, involves top police officials allegedly receiving proceeds from the coal trade and subsequently ordering the ‘permanent removal’ of their criminal operatives. This alleged plot aims to prevent any cooperation with the ED and stifle the exposure of truth. There are credible indications that individuals currently undergoing ED questioning are being marked for elimination, a tactic to ensure silence. This method of eliminating witnesses through staged encounters has a disturbing precedent in Jharkhand. The state has previously witnessed a DGP accused of orchestrating contract killings and exhibiting unparalleled corruption, with even ruling party figures acknowledging these claims. Marandi stressed the need for heightened vigilance from the ED, remarking that in Jharkhand, those who suppress facts often prosper while truth-seekers face adversity. The confluence of governmental power, systemic flaws, and criminal syndicates renders the perversion of justice almost inevitable.
