Order of the National Green Tribunal (Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata) in the matter of News item titled: 5 Jharkhand forest officers attacked by Stone mafia, appearing in The Times of India dated 24.03.2025.

The application was taken up on the basis of a news item published in the Times of India newspaper dated March 24, 2025 under the heading “5 Jharkhand forest officers attacked by stone mafia”. The newspaper article stated that the attack underscored the growing menace of illegal stone mining in Palamu district of Jharkhand. The attack occurred when the foresters attempted to seize two boulder-laden tractors. This is the third such attack in just over a month.

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The NGT, April 7, 2025 directed notice to be issued to be Department of Forest, Environment & Climate Change, Government of Jharkhand; District Magistrate & Collector, Palamu; Divisional Forest Officer, Medinirai; District Mining Officer, Palamu district and Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board. All the respondents have been directed to file their counter affidavits with regard to the allegations of illegal mining as published in the news item.