Meghalaya High Court summons East Jaintia Hills SPs over coal mine deaths

A division bench of the Meghalaya High Court has ordered the current and former Superintendents of Police in East Jaintia Hills to appear before it on February 24 over a public interest litigation (PIL) concerning the illegal coal mining disaster that has claimed 34 lives.

Justices W Diengdoh and H S Thangkhiew directed incumbent SP Pankaj Rasgania—who took charge last week and attended February 19's hearing—and his predecessor P Vikash Kumar to remain present during the proceedings.

The court reviewed a detailed status report from state respondents, submitted in response to its order of February 9, and deemed it comprehensive enough to warrant close scrutiny before issuing further directives.

The PIL addresses alleged illegal coal mining operations in the district, spotlighting systemic failures exposed by the February 5 blast at an unregulated mine in Thangskai.

The death toll climbed to 34 on February 18 after local miner Shanki Shullai succumbed to injuries, with officials confirming four victims hailed from Meghalaya itself.

The case returns to court on February 24, as pressure mounts for accountability in one of the region's deadliest mining incidents.