Hoshiarpur illegal mining: High Court hands probe to CBI, says 'Entire hill wiped out in a year'
PTC Web Desk: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has handed over the investigation into large-scale illegal mining in Hoshiarpur to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), calling the matter “serious.”
The court observed that an entire hill in the area had been wiped out within a year, with mining carried out to a depth of up to 110 feet.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the CBI to complete its probe and file a sealed-cover report before it within three months.
The CBI has also been told to carry out a drone survey of the whole affected area. For this, the agency can take help from Google Earth or ISRO. A 3D image of the illegal mining site will be prepared. After the survey, the extent of damage caused to the environment will be assessed.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has further directed the CBI to identify the officials responsible for the illegal mining and take action against them.
Earlier, the court had asked the Chairman of the District Legal Services Authority, Hoshiarpur, to look into the matter. After going through his inquiry report, the court took a strict view and transferred the case to the CBI.
This is not the first such order. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has earlier handed over an illegal mining probe in Haryana to the CBI as well.
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- PTC NEWS
