Staff Reporter :

 

A massive quantity of coal allegedly being treated as waste at a railway siding near Kanhan has come under the scanner of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). During a joint survey carried out by the CBI, vigilance teams of South East Central Railway (SECR), and Western Coalfields Limited (WCL), nearly 1,427 metric tonnes of coal was found segregated and dumped as waste at the Dumri railway siding which triggered a probe into suspected coal diversion and smuggling. The survey was conducted on Friday after the CBI received inputs about possible irregularities in coal handling and disposal activities at the siding.

 

Dumri siding serves as a key loading point where coal transported from WCL mines is transferred into railway wagons for dispatch to various thermal power stations. Officials said that, while WCL has its own contractor for cleaning coal wagons, SECR appointed a separate contractor in November 2025 and assigned it several responsibilities, including cleaning railway tracks and wagons. According to sources, the CBI had received information, suggesting that, coal from the siding was being diverted and sold illegally in the open market. Preliminary checks reportedly revealed that four coal-laden tippers left the siding on March 21, followed by 16 more tippers carrying around 800 metric tonnes of coal on March 24. Investigators are now trying to determine where the vehicles were headed and under what circumstances the coal was moved. Officials said, gate passes for residual coal had been issued to the vehicles, which allows the movement to appear legitimate in official records.

 

This raised suspicion over the manner in which coal classified as residual material or waste was being handled. During the joint inspection, teams discovered around 1,427 metric tonnes of Grade-12 coal that had been separated from other material and stored as waste. Investigators suspect that the coal may have been earmarked for lifting under the pretext of waste disposal. The quantity is substantial enough to fill nearly 35 tippers.

 

As part of the investigation, the CBI has seized relevant records and documents and collected four coal samples for examination. Officials said, the inquiry is currently at the verification stage and every aspect of the coal handling process is being scrutinised, including transportation records, gate passes, contractor activities and disposal procedures. The case has also revived earlier concerns raised by WCL. Sources confirmed that the coal company had written to SECR on two occasions and objected to the appointment of the contractor involved in lifting coal from the sidings and expressing reservations about the arrangement. The probe is on and officials said action will depend on the outcome of the verification and examination process.