Marandi: Jharkhand Govt Faking Crimes to Hide Corruption

Babulal Marandi, the state president of the BJP and Leader of Opposition, has accused the Jharkhand government of manufacturing new crimes as a smokescreen for its inability to address rising lawlessness and corruption. He asserted that the current government and its associated systems have normalized the practice of creating false criminal narratives to hide reality. The recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigations into the extensive coal syndicate in Dhanbad have brought to light significant proof of this alleged corruption. Particularly concerning is the claim that certain influential police officers, who are allegedly profiting from the coal trade’s black money, have tasked henchmen of the coal mafia with ‘permanently silencing’ specific individuals. Sources indicate that individuals currently under ED scrutiny are being targeted for elimination to prevent them from revealing incriminating information. This strategy of staging ‘encounter killings’ to destroy evidence is not unprecedented in the state’s history. Jharkhand has previously dealt with a DGP who faced accusations of taking contracts for staged encounters, allegedly becoming the most corrupt police chief the state has ever seen, with even ruling party figures reportedly voicing these concerns. The ED must proceed with utmost vigilance. In this state, truth-tellers are suppressed, while those who bury the truth thrive. When power, the establishment, and organized crime align, the perversion of justice is easily achieved.