Authority: Hon'ble Mr. Justice Rajesh Shankar, High Court of Jharkhand at Ranchi
Order Date: 27 October 2026
Case Overview
- Petitioners: Raj Kumar Karmali and Gopal Karmali, sons of Late Prayag Karmali, residents of Charhi, District Hazaribagh, Jharkhand.
- Respondents: The State of Jharkhand; Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) and its officials; Circle Officer, Mandu, District Ramgarh.
- The petitioners applied for employment in lieu of acquisition of their land under Khata no.3 of Mouja Laiyo, submitting genealogy and related documents.
- The Project Officer, Jharkhand Opencast Project, CCL, Ramgarh, issued a letter dated 10 March 2022 requesting the Circle Officer (Respondent No.6) to conduct an enquiry into the title of the land and forward the report to CCL.
- The Circle Officer had not responded to the March 2022 letter, prompting the writ petition.
Court Findings & Directions
- The Court noted the petitioners' limited prayer: a direction to Respondent No.6 to make a proper enquiry and submit the enquiry report to CCL for processing their employment claim.
- Counsel for Respondent No.1 (State) and Respondent No.6 indicated that the Circle Officer would comply within the specified period.
- The Court directed Respondent No.6 (Circle Officer, Mandu) to conduct the enquiry as per the 10 March 2022 request and to send the enquiry report to the CCL Project Officer within two months from the order date.
- The writ petition was disposed of with the above direction.
Final Outcome
- The High Court ordered the Circle Officer to complete the land title enquiry and submit the report to Central Coalfields Limited within two months, thereby allowing the petitioners' employment claim to be processed.
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