Police, mining authorities bound to register FIRs for theft of state-owned minerals, says NGT
The NGT ruled that police and mining authorities must register FIRs for theft of state-owned minerals, saying payment of penalties does not bar criminal prosecution.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ruled that local police and mining authorities are legally obligated to register FIRs under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for theft of state-owned minerals in cases of illegal mining. This ruling, which applies to the theft of minerals from state-owned areas, emphasizes that payment of penalties for illegal mining does not exempt offenders from criminal prosecution.
The NGT's ruling was delivered in response to an application concerning illegal sand mining and storage in the Mahanadi riverbed at Chikhili village in Bargarh district, where the tribunal directed the state government to initiate criminal proceedings against the alleged offender and recover environmental compensation for the ecological damage caused.
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