Guwahati: The Supreme Court of India is set to hear a writ petition filed by environmental activist Dilip Nath (IA No. 125409 of 2025) on July 30, seeking urgent intervention to stop illegal stone mining in Assam.
The petition highlights rampant violations across seven forest reserves, proposed reserves, and deemed forest areas. One of the most prominently named respondents in the case is businessman Ranbir Singh (RS) Gandhi, son of Kartar Singh Gandhi and owner of M/s Hills Trade Agencies.
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Nath has accused RS Gandhi of operating extensive illegal stone quarrying activities under the guise of expired or misused permits. He alleges that Gandhi, named as Respondent No. 20, has violated environmental regulations with impunity and expanded mining operations far beyond the sanctioned limits.
In his petition, Nath references the 1996 Supreme Court ruling in the T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad vs Union of India case, which broadened the definition of “forest” under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. He claims that contractors like Gandhi have evaded key legal processes such as Stage-II Forest Clearance, diversion orders, and payment of environmental dues like Net Present Value (NPV) and Compensatory Afforestation charges.
Responding to the petition, the Supreme Court on May 30 issued a stay on all illegal mining activities and directed the Assam government and the Ministry of Environment to investigate the matter and submit a response. Despite this, local residents continue to report unimpeded stone transportation from the quarries.
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Eyewitnesses claim trucks loaded with crushed stone operate around the clock, while some journalists probing the mining racket have allegedly faced attacks, and in some cases, murder attempts, from goons linked to the contractors.
During a press briefing in Nagaon on May 16, Nath accused Gandhi of unlawfully mining over 30 hectares inside the Sonaikuchi Reserve Forest under the Nagaon Forest Division. Gandhi’s original lease, sanctioned under Proposal No. FP/AS/QRY/27/02/2017, covered only 1 hectare and expired on August 21, 2018. Nath asserts that Gandhi not only exceeded the leased area but also continued operations post-expiry, without any renewed clearance. Forest officials reportedly denied Gandhi’s application to convert adjacent plains due to their protected status.
Gandhi’s M/s Hills Trade Agencies also appears in Proposal No. FP/AS/Others/27091/2017, concerning Jagiroad Stone Mahal. Other contractors cited in the petition include Debesh Chandra Roy, Bono Das, Oliur Rahman Laskar, Md Farhan Uddin, Ziaur Rahman, Jayanta Kumar Laskar, Biswajit Banik, and Ratul Chandra Bordoloi. Nath alleges that these individuals collectively flouted environmental laws using expired leases, fraudulent documents, and unauthorized expansions.
For example, Laskar reportedly continued mining in Modertoli Stone Quarry No. 2 under the Doboka Reserved Forest even after his five-year permit expired in 2022. Nath says he used forged certificates to continue extraction operations.
The petition names 11 stone mining sites currently violating the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980; Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957; and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. These include Jagiroad (F1 and F2), Tokrabandha, Chitalmari, Modertoli (No. 2 and 4), Bipin, Tapatjuri, Dholpahar, Baghara, and Gopeswar Stone Quarries. The affected forests include Tokrabandha PRF, Chitalmari RF, Doboka RF, Tetelia Baghara RF, Sonaikuchi RF, Kondoli PRF, Dhulpahar PRF, and several deemed forests.
Despite widespread violations, mining operations persist. Nath holds Gandhi responsible for using falsified challans and exceeding permitted extraction limits under the watch of forest officials. He has urged Assam’s Chief Minister and Forest Minister to launch a high-level investigation and hold complicit authorities accountable.
Nath also claims that deep-rooted corruption within the forest department and district administrations enables these activities. He argues that such blatant environmental violations would be impossible without support from senior officials.
However, the narrative took a twist when police arrested Nath on July 6. Authorities accused him of orchestrating an attack on journalists investigating illegal sand and stone mining in Hugrajuli, Sonitpur, on June 29. Allegations suggest Nath exploited RTI activism for extortion through a platform called NE Bharat while being involved in illegal operations himself.
Meanwhile, Gandhi’s name continues to surface in multiple illegal ventures. Reports allege that Gandhi, along with his son Chiranjeet Singh Gandhi, has a history of profiteering from environmental exploitation.
Though their primary business, bamboo trading under Hills Trade Agencies, has operated in Assam since 1993, the duo has faced several accusations of corruption, tax evasion, and illegal mining.
Most recently, Gandhi allegedly expanded illegal mining into Panimara, Karbi Anglong. Despite obtaining contracts for stone extraction at three locations, Panimara No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3, he reportedly funneled failed operations from the first two into illegal expansions in the third. Activists claim he bypassed transportation limits by using a single challan to run multiple dumper trips daily, costing the state substantial revenue.
Despite these ongoing violations, trucks from Gandhi’s quarries reportedly continue delivering stone to construction sites like Tezpur airport and the Koliabhomora bridge.
As the Supreme Court prepares to examine the case on July 30, activists and concerned citizens hope that the judiciary will succeed where the state machinery appears to have failed. Whether the top court can halt the ecological destruction of Assam’s forests remains a pressing question.