Hazaribag, May 11 (PTI) A police officer in Jharkhand's Hazaribag district was suspended for allegedly failing to check illegal coal mining and smuggling, officials said on Wednesday.

The officer-in-charge of Barkagaon police station Gautam Kumar was given several warnings in the past about rampant illegal coal mining in the area, Superintendent of Police Manoj Ratan Chothe said.

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But he failed to check it, following which action was initiated, he said.

Sub-Inspector Binod Kumar Tirkey has replaced Kumar as the OC of Barkagaon, he added.

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Illegal coal mining and smuggling rip the state exchequer of revenue, he said.

Chothe said he had information that about 80 tonnes of illegally mined coal were smuggled in the area, but the suspended officer did not bother to take action or inform his seniors.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)