By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 12: The High Court of Meghalaya has ordered a stay on the trial related to the death of police officer PJ Marbaniang who had resisted illegal coal mining.
During the hearing on Wednesday, the court observed that though the trial is proceeding, it does not appear that the investigation was satisfactory. “Accordingly, let the trial not be continued till further orders,” the division bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh said.
“Incidentally, the report of the SIT reveals what had been suspected by this court in the matters pertaining to illegal coal-mining. The SIT report indicates the existence of registers with fixed rates per truck for allowing illegal transportation of illegally-mined coal, illegally-felled timber and illegally-extracted boulders. There are names and officials have been identified in some cases.
“The report of the SIT is disturbing on both counts: first in how it reveals the rampant and structured illegal coal-mining operations and the transportation of the mineral; and, how the SIT arrived at a conclusion despite the evidence that was available,” the court said.
The court asked Additional Advocate-General K Khan to assist it in the case and hoped that Khan’s allegiance to his office will not stand in a way of fair and independent assistance being rendered to the court.