Haryana conviction rate a mere 9%

Bhartesh Singh Thakur 

Tribune News Service 

Chandigarh, July 22 

In nine of 10 illegal mining cases between 2011-12 and 2018-19 in Haryana, accused  have gone scot-free, the reason being that there is no deterrent. In a brazen attack on July 9 in Ferozepur Jhirka, the mafia pelted a joint team of the police and the administration with stones. The SDM and DSP were injured and had to flee. 

A total of 1,761 FIRs of illegal mining were registered during 2011-12 to 2018-19 and 266 of these cases have been decided. The accused were convicted in just 26 cases (9.8%) while in 240 cases (90.2%) they  were acquitted. There has been one conviction in the past three years and 53 acquittals. As many as 409 of 1,761 (23.2%) cases are pending in courts. In 1,086 cases (61.7%), probe is yet to be completed and a charge-sheet filed. Of  3,009 mining complaints, 1,761 FIRs were filed in the past eight years. “A total of 1,178 complaints (39.1%) were dismissed. Who is deciding as to which FIR is to be registered? There is a problem here,” observed Additional Chief Secretary, Mines and Geology, PK Das.

In 2018-19, of 580 complaints of illegal mining, FIR was filed in just 350 cases (60.3%). The maximum number of complaints came from Panchkula (216) followed by Yamunanagar (143) and Mahendragarh (80). Mining DGP Manoj Yadava said, "All complaints can’t be converted into FIRs. We have to follow the process.”