Meghalaya coal mining: 2 bodies recovered, 7 persons apprehended for illegal mining
By Our Reporter | Shillong | Jan 06, 2019
While the rescue attempt to recover the 15 trapped coal miners enters its 25th day and no progress has been made so far, Meghalaya police seems to have upped the ante in its fight against illegal coal mining.
In this regard, Meghalaya police today recovered the body of one Elad Bareh (26) from a coal quarry at Mooknor Jalyiah village in East Jaintia Hills. The uncle of the deceased, Phillip Bareh had lodged a missing complaint before the police that his nephew was missing from his home since January 04.
Acting up on the FIR, when police conducted the search, the dead body of Elad was recovered today in-front of coal quarry which is a side cutting quarry. While checking the site, the police found another dead body of Monoj Basumatry from Deinchynrum village in East Jaintia HIlls.
Police said that they suspect boulders might have hit them while they tried to extract coal from the said site cutting quarry. Police further informed that inquest was conducted and the dead bodies were forwarded to SDM & HO Khliehriat CHC for post mortem. The matter is under inquiry and efforts are on to find out the owner of the quarry.
Meanwhile, while conducting random raid of illegal mining of coal, officer-in-charge of Khliehriat Police Station, Sub Inspector W. Nongtdu and Sub Inspector P. R. Marak along with their patrolling team today found that one Abdul Hussain was lifting fresh coal from the coal mine at Sankilo Umlawang village road.
The police patrolling team further conducted mine raids at San kilo area on illegal coal mine and apprehended three persons namely Binod Basumatary, Bikram Sonal and Arjun Rai while they were engaging in illegal coal extraction adding that the owner of the coal mine is one Willingness Latam of Moopala village. A case has been registered in this connection.
Further, the police yesterday conducted mine raids over the area of Jaintia Cement Bazar to Lelad Junction and apprehended and detained four labourers namely Prakash Basumatary, Jogan Boro, Danswr Narzary and Ram Kumar Rai while they were illegally extracting coal from a quarry near Lelad Junction. The owner of the mine has been identified as Brojoy Dkhar of Sutnga. A case was registered vide Khliehriat PS case No. 07(1)19 u/s 188/34 ipc r/w sec 3(2)(d) PDPP Act.
