Gaurav Gogoi cites ED report, seeks CBI probe into alleged coal syndicate
Without political protection, these syndicates wouldn’t flourish, the APCC chief adds
A file image of Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi. (Photo:Meta)
Guwahati, May 28: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee chief and Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi, on Wednesday, called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged coal syndicate operating in Assam and neighbouring Meghalaya.
Citing recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) findings, Gogoi highlighted what he described as a “worsening ground-level crisis” that the ruling government has continued to overlook.
“The ED raided multiple locations — including Jagdikitim, Nongalbipra, Jadugopha, Margherita, and Guwahati — in Assam and Meghalaya on April 24 while investigating a rampant coal syndicate. The next day, reports revealed a sophisticated network operating across both states,” Gogoi said.
According to the ED, the Jorhat MP said, syndicate members ensured trucks carrying illegally mined coal crossed from Meghalaya into Assam without proper checks. The coal was then falsely documented as legally sourced, with the syndicate allegedly collecting commissions between Rs 1.27 lakh and Rs 1.5 lakh per truck, he added.
Gogoi also revealed that large quantities of the illegal coal are stored in Jogighopa, Assam. “During the raids, the ED seized Rs 1.58 crore in cash, luxury vehicles purchased with crime proceeds, and digital devices. Diaries recovered from cash handlers corroborate the extensive financial transactions linked to the scam,” he said.
The Congress leader said these revelations contradict Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s repeated denials of illegal coal mining in the state.
“The ED report exposes the scale of the syndicate, yet there have been no arrests or serious investigations. Without political protection, these syndicates wouldn’t flourish. Clearly, someone influential is shielding them,” Gogoi asserted.
Gogoi had earlier raised concerns during the January 2025 rat-hole mining tragedy in Umrangsho, where nine miners died after being trapped in a waterlogged mine for 44 days.
“A subsequent Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe revealed 244 illegal rat-hole mines in Assam, reportedly shut down. However, the ED’s recent findings suggest illegal operations have resumed,” he noted.
The allegations come a day after Chief Minister Sarma met Union Coal Minister G. Kishan Reddy to seek urgent measures to boost coal mining and mineral extraction in Assam.