Haryana orders probe into village-govt-mining mafia nexus in Nuh
The Haryana government has ordered the State Vigilance Department to probe allegations of criminal collusion between the sarpanch of Basai Meo village, certain government officials, and powerful mining cartels operating in the Aravalli belt of Nuh district. To be sure, the sarpanch was previously suspended for attempting to revive an illegal mining route demolished by the district administration.
The department has been given a deadline of 90 days to complete its investigation and submit a report to the state government, officials said. The findings will be shared with both the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) recently filed a case in which seven people, including government officials and village-level leaders, were booked under sections 61 (criminal conspiracy), 329(3) (criminal trespass), 318(2) (cheating), 316(2) (criminal breach of trust), 303 (theft), and 270 (public nuisance) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Provisions of the Punjab Land and Preservation Act (Amendment), the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, and Section 15(1) of the Environment Protection Act, 1986, have also been invoked.
The probe follows recent enforcement action in Basai Meo, where police arrested one person and booked another for attempting to revive an illegal mining route demolished earlier by the district administration. Past CEC reports have led to the suspension of six mining officials and the sarpanch of Basai Meo over similar allegations.
Villages like Basai Meo, Chittaura, Ghata Shamshad, and Rawa have been repeatedly identified as hot spots for illegal mining, where criminals use dynamite to blast through the Aravallis, extract stone illegally, and transport it via overloaded trucks.
Environmentalists welcomed the move. 'For years, we have seen unchecked destruction in the name of development, often backed by invisible hands in power. This probe must go beyond symbolism and lead to real accountability,' said Vaishali Rana, a Gurugram-based environmentalist.
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