Korba, May 19 (PTI) A video showing a large number of people digging and carrying away coal illegally from an opencast coal mine of South Eastern Coalfield Limited (SECL) in Chhattisgarh’s Korba district went viral on Thursday.
Inspector General of Police (Bilaspur range) Ratanlal Dangi ordered a probe after the video began to circulate on social media.
The video showed hundreds of men and women engaged in mining, some digging with pickaxes and other tools while others loading coal in sacks.
Long lines of people carrying the gunnysacks on their shoulders were also seen.
IG Dangi, in his order, said the in-charge of the Anti Crime and Cyber Unit (ACCU), Bilaspur has been appointed as investigating official to probe the viral video.
SECL is a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, a Public Sector Undertaking.
The investigation will also look into what action was taken in police cases filed by SECL officials about coal theft in the past and whether any officials were involved in the illegal coal mining racket, the IG’s order said.
Korba Superintendent of Police (SP) Bhojram Patel on Thursday transferred Station House Officers of Dipka police station and Hardibazar police chowki (outpost), citing administrative reasons.
Inspector Avinash Singh, SHO of Dipka police station, and Inspector Abhay Singh Bais, SHO of Hardibazar Chowki, have been attached to Police Line Korba with immediate effect, the transfer order said.
The viral video is claimed to be of the Gevra and Dipka coal mines of SECL in Korba.
Public Relations Officer SECL (Bilaspur headquarters) Sanish Chandra said whenever coal theft comes to light in the mining area of SECL, it is immediately reported to police. PTI COR TKP KRK KRK
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