Shillong: The Meghalaya government has constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a time-bound probe into the illegal coal mine blast that killed 30 people on February 5 in the Thangsku–Mynsnga area of East Jaintia Hills district. The state has also transferred the district’s Superintendent of Police in connection with the incident and ordered a judicial inquiry to fix accountability and examine enforcement lapses.
The SIT, headed by a Deputy Inspector General-rank officer, will investigate all aspects of the explosion, including the continued operation of banned rat-hole mines, the use of explosives and possible administrative failures. Rat-hole mining — involving narrow horizontal tunnels barely three to four feet high — has been prohibited since 2014 under orders of the National Green Tribunal, later upheld by the Supreme Court.
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Arrests, seizures point to organised illegal activity
Police have so far arrested 14 people in four cases related to illegal mining and possession of explosive materials. Authorities have seized 15,224.72 metric tonnes of assessed coal, five vehicles, 25.5 kg of gelatin sticks and 74 detonators, indicating the organised use of explosives inside prohibited mine shafts.
Official data show that 62 FIRs linked to illegal coal extraction had already been registered in the district prior to the blast, including cases of illegal transportation and seizure of explosives. The latest incident has intensified scrutiny over enforcement failures in a region where illegal mining has repeatedly been flagged despite the statutory ban.
Judicial commission to examine lapses
The government has appointed a judicial inquiry commission headed by a former High Court judge to examine the circumstances leading to the explosion, identify responsibility and recommend preventive measures. The panel will assess whether monitoring mechanisms failed and how large-scale illegal mining operations continued despite court directives.
Repeated warnings ignored
A High Court-appointed monitoring committee had submitted multiple reports highlighting ongoing illegal mining and transportation in East Jaintia Hills and had recommended the closure of unauthorised mines. The panel had also raised concerns over large quantities of “missing” coal and called for stricter enforcement.
Wider scrutiny and rights concerns
The Meghalaya High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and sought reports from district authorities on enforcement and rescue operations. The National Human Rights Commission has also issued a notice to the state government seeking details on compensation for victims’ families, the progress of the investigation and steps to prevent recurrence.
Opposition parties and civil society groups have demanded structural reforms and sustained enforcement rather than periodic crackdowns following disasters. Further findings are expected once the SIT and judicial commission submit their reports.
