The Meghalaya High Court on Wednesday directed the Assam government to file an affidavit on preliminary inquiry into the allegations being made that illegally mined coal is being smuggled out of the state with the help of forged and fabricated documents from Assam.

The High Court passed the direction while hearing the petition filed by Champer M Sangma and Maikel T Sangma that illegally mined coal in Meghalaya is being smuggled out to Assam and re-routed to the state, sometimes for export to Bangladesh, by obtaining forged documents.

The High Court said, “The state of Assam is requested to file an affidavit after conducting a preliminary inquiry as to whether there may be any basis to the petitioners’ allegations as recorded above. Let the matter appear three weeks hence to await the affidavit or report from the State of Assam. List on November 14, 2022.”

“In particular, the state of Assam should render assistance as to the sanctity of a GST payment receipt being produced,” it stated.

“Though no credible evidence has thus far surfaced, the petitioners allege that the 14th respondent in the first matter provides the services of coal laundering in the sense of furnishing fabricated documents in support of the material as the illegally mined coal in this State is returned to the State with such documents,” it added.