NIA Court Convicts 12: Inside the Extortion Network Targeting Jharkhand’s Coal Trade

A special NIA court in Ranchi has sentenced 12 people in a case involving an alleged extortion network that operated in Jharkhand’s Amrapali-Magadh coal belt and raised funds for the banned Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC), a Maoist splinter group. The court convicted the 12 on August 12 and pronounced sentences on August 18, with five receiving 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment, six eight years and one five years.

The TPC emerged in 2002 after a split from the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC). It became a rival of the CPI (Maoist). Its activities relied heavily on extortion and levies imposed on economic activity across the region.

The Amrapali-Magadh coal projects in Chatra’s Tandwa area became a lucrative target. According to the NIA, TPC members and cadres, allegedly working with local committees and associates, collected money in return for allowing coal mining and transportation to continue. The arrangement effectively created a “pay-to-operate” system around the coal supply chain.

Coal transporters, contractors, delivery-order holders and businessmen were allegedly pressured to make regular payments. Court records describe a levy of Rs 254 per tonne, later reduced to Rs 200, collected through local committees and linked intermediaries. Investigators alleged that the proceeds ultimately benefited TPC operatives and helped sustain the organisation’s activities.

The investigation also uncovered substantial cash. A 2016 police raid at the residence of Binod Kumar Ganjhu reportedly recovered about Rs 91 lakh, while other searches produced additional cash and mobile phones. The NIA filed chargesheets against 21 accused, while the trial involved testimony from 119 prosecution witnesses.

The case illustrates how insurgent groups can exploit resource-rich areas by combining intimidation, local networks and recurring levies. By targeting multiple layers of the coal economy, the alleged racket generated a continuing funding stream rather than relying on isolated extortion over several years. The NIA said the money from coal operations was raised to finance the banned organisation, linking coal-sector coercion directly to Maoist funding.