Congress Files FIR Against Debolal Gorlosa, Wife for Alleged Illegal Coal Mining

First Information Reports (FIRs) have been lodged against Debolal Gorlosa, Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC), and his wife, Kanika Hojai, for their alleged involvement in operating an illegal rat-hole coal mine in Umrangso, Dima Hasao. 

The FIRs, registered on Friday at the Umrangso Police Station, accuse the couple of flouting a ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Supreme Court on rat-hole coal mining, amidst rising public outcry over illegal mining in the region.

The FIRs were filed by Congress members Kome Kemprai and Pitush Langthasa, who have demanded the immediate arrest of Gorlosa and Hojai. The charges against the couple include violations of Section 303 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BHS), the Environmental Protection Act, the Mines and Minerals Act, and the Forest Conservation Act.

Kemprai, while voicing his frustration with local authorities, pointed out that Gorlosa has been allegedly involved in corruption for over a decade, with claims that the local police have shielded him from arrest due to their complicity in the illegal activities.

The illegal mining operations in Dima Hasao have long been a point of contention, with the link between political figures and unlawful coal mining surfacing recently in the ongoing crisis at the Tin Kilo coal mine in Umrangso.

In November 2023, a challan issued by the Assam Mining Development Corporation (AMDC) named Kanika Hojai in connection with illicit mining activities, further deepening concerns about the involvement of local political leaders in the controversial trade.

With the legal action now underway, the case has raised serious questions about the intersection of politics, corruption, and illegal mining in Assam, and the public is awaiting swift action to address these grave environmental and legal violations.