Jharkhand govt orders probe into role of railway officials

The state government on Wednesday announced a one-man special investigation team (SIT) to be headed by Jharkhand High Court Chief Justice (retired) Vinod Kumar Gupta to probe the role of railway officials in illegal transportation of minerals. The SIT will also suggest ways to contain the menace.

According to an official statement, Chief Minister Hemant Soren approved the SIT and fixed a tenure of six months to complete the probe.

In December last year, Soren had sent a letter to the railway ministry informing it of his government's decision to set up a high-level commission of inquiry to probe the alleged role of railway officials in illegal mining and transport and other aspects. Soren also asked the railway minister to direct the accused railway officials to cooperate with the inquiry committee.

The move follows an ongoing investigation by the Enforcement Directorate against illegal mining and money laundering in the state, in which the federal agency arrested former mining secretary Pooja Singhal and assistant CM Pankaj Mishra, among others.

Meanwhile, the opposition BJP is going hammer and tongs against the Soren dispensation, accusing it of sponsoring illegal mining in the state, especially in his Sahebganj constituency, which falls under Santhal Parganas.