SHILLONG, Jan 10: The East Jaintia Hills police are inquiring into the reported death of three coal mine workers in the Rymbai area.
District police chief Jagpal Singh Dhanoa said a suo motu case has been registered and notices under Sections 160 and 91 of the CrPC are being issued to all the headmen for ascertaining the veracity of the reports about the death of the coal miners.
One of the three who died in a Rymbai coal mine hailed from Musniang village, the media reports said.
According to the report, no one has been speaking about the incident as mining in the area was being carried out illegally. The National Green Tribunal banned rat-hole coal mining and the High Court of Meghalaya subsequently issued a hard-hitting order.
It has also been reported that coal-related activities are happening along Rymbai to Umsatai-Pynurkba-Bataw route till Umlangsha and Lakadong toward Borghat.
The police said notices have also been issued to the media outlets concerned to produce the sources of information. The PHCs and CHCs were being contacted to produce records of dead bodies in the past week.
“Sources are being engaged and teams have been sent to various villages, especially Musniang, to get further information,” a district police officer said.
Meanwhile, the police said 18 cases of illegal transportation of coal were reported in the East Jaintia Hills district during the last two months. Seven people are arrested and 22 vehicles were seized during this period.
In addition, there was a case of illegal coal mining in which the police recovered two air blower machines, eight axes, two drilling irons and two hammers.
Coal mining is banned in Meghalaya since April 2014 by a National Green Tribunal order. The green Court banned rat-hole mining ironically to avert such mishaps in the unregulated and dangerous mines.
The High Court of Meghalaya had come down heavily on the administration and directed specifically the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police to not bow to any political interference while implementing its order to completely arrest illegal coal mining in the state. (With UNI inputs)
