A day after the PMLA Special Court rejected Ex CM Hemant Soren’s plea to attend the budget session of the Assembly on Thursday,the Jharkhand High Court today took U turn.

The court has withdrawn its “stay” on the CBI investigation into the case of illegal mining in Nimbu Pahad in Sahibganj district.  

The high court’s order means the CBI will re- start its investigation into the illegal mining case in Nimbu Pahad. Notably,the CBI had registered a case number 06/23. 

Responding to the CBI’s investigation,the state government headed by the then CM Hemant Soren had approached the High Court against the CBI investigation. Hearing this, the Jharkhand High Court had stayed the order for CBI investigation on January 19, 2024. 

That time the state government had approached the court, filing a petition against the CBI probe. Justice Rajesh Kumar’s court had granted the stay on the investigation following the state government’s appeal. 

Notably, senior advocate Kapil Sibal,Advocate General Rajeev Ranjan, and Piyush Chitresh had represented the state government, while Additional Solicitor General (ASGI) Anil Kumar argued on behalf of the CBI. 

The Nimbu ghat case has its own history.The CBI got involved in the investigation in November 2023, with its DSP Krishna Kumar Singh leading the probe. 

 The FIR filed by the CBI had named Barhait MLA representative and the main accused in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case, Pankaj Mishra, along with businessman Vishnu Kumar Yadav, Pavitar Kumar Yadav, Sahibganj District Council Vice President Rajesh Yadav, Sanjay Kumar Yadav, Bachchu Yadav, Sanjay Yadav, Suvesh Mandal, and others. 

The CBI’s case originated from a complaint filed by Vijay Hansda at the Muffasil police station of Sahibganj and the case 6/22 registered by Vijay Hansda at the ST-SC police station of Sahibganj. 

The accused individuals face charges under relevant sections of the Jharkhand Mines and Minerals Act, Arms Act, and ST-SC Act. 

The High Court’s decision to halt the CBI investigation marked a speed breaker into investigation. The hearing of this case took place in the bench of High Court judge Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad. 

Now, with the Jharkhand High Court lifting its stay on investigation by central agency, the CBI is set to kick start investigation into the illegal mining in Nimbu Pahad in Sahibganj district. 

This can open pandora box of illegal mining of minerals by several accused many of whom were already in jail in cases filed by the Enforcement Directorate.