Criminal nexus: In Haryana, zero conviction in mining cases in 2 years

Tribune News Service

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Chandigarh, September 23

Not all complaints moved by mining officers are converted into FIRs. The mining officers moved 774 complaints for FIRs in 2022-23 (till August) to the police, but only 525 have been converted into FIRs.

A total of 249 (32.2 per cent) complaints have not been converted into FIRs, according to data presented at the State-Level Task Force meeting on August 30. In some districts, the proportion of non-conversion of complaints into FIRs is higher. In Karnal, mining officers moved 90 complaints for FIRs. However, only 41 got converted into FIRs, implying no action on more than 50 per cent of the complaints. In Panipat, of the 33 complaints of the Mining Department, just seven got converted into FIRs; implying that the police did not act on close to 79 per cent of the complaints.

In Sonepat, of the 132 complaints, 86 were converted into FIRs, while in Rewari, of the 79 complaints, just 37 were converted into FIRs.

“There is little cooperation from the police. All complaints by mining officers should be converted into FIRs for effective action against illegal miners,” said a senior official of the Mining Department.

Another aspect of the police investigation is the conviction rate in illegal mining cases. The cases registered under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, saw zero conviction in 2021, according to a report of the State Crime Record Bureau. The trials were completed in courts in 26 cases, and all ended in acquittals of 41 persons.

In 2020 too, the conviction rate was zero. There were 19 cases where the trials got completed in courts but all ended in acquittals of 22 persons.

However, in 2019, of the 57 cases where the trials got completed, convictions took place in 29 (50.9 per cent). Of the 92 accused, 51 were acquitted and 41 got convicted.

In 2018, of the 98 completed trials, the conviction took place in just 17 cases, whereas acquittals of 195 people took place in 81 cases.

In 86 cases disposed of by courts in 2017, the conviction took place only in seven while acquittals of 148 people took place in 79 cases.

774 complaints till Aug

• Mining officers moved 774 plaints till August to the police, but only 525 converted into FIRs
• In Karnal, of 90 complaints, only 41 converted into FIRs, implying no action taken by police on more than 50% complaints
• In Panipat, of the 33 complaints, just seven converted into FIRs; meaning cops did not act on nearly 79% complaints
• In Sonepat, of the 132 complaints, 86 converted into FIRs

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