Marandi seeks NIA probe into gangster Prince Khan’s allegation against Dhanbad SSP

The Leader of the Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly, Babulal Marandi, on Sunday (May 10, 2026) wrote a letter to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, seeking a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the alleged nexus between the police and criminals, with particular reference to gangster Prince Khan of Wasseypur in Dhanbad.

Mr. Marandi accused the State police of supporting an organised extortion network and demanded the immediate removal of Dhanbad Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Prabhat Kumar. 

“Recently, notorious gangster Prince Khan released videos from abroad on social media regarding the Dhanbad police, coal theft and extortion network, which have cast serious doubts on the credibility of the State. Two videos have been compiled on a DVD and are being enclosed with this letter so that the government may understand the gravity of the facts presented,” Mr. Marandi said.

In the videos, Khan allegedly levelled serious allegations against the Dhanbad SSP, accusing him of supporting coal and land mafias and threatening businessmen. Following court orders, the police have started proceedings to attach Khan’s property in Wasseypur. The police have claimed that Khan is operating his network from Pakistan.

“This matter serves as a question mark over the very system that claims to ensure public safety and justice. Normally, it is the police who expose criminals, but in Jharkhand, it is gangsters who are exposing the alleged nefarious activities of police officials,” Mr. Marandi said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader added that the allegations against the Dhanbad SSP strike at the impartiality and credibility of the entire police machinery. The former Chief Minister claimed that the situation in Dhanbad appeared as though the rule of law did not exist and was replaced instead by a battle for supremacy between two parallel gangs.

“The rivalry appears to be over who will exercise greater control over Dhanbad’s coal resources, trade, and economic activities,” he said.

In the letter, Mr. Marandi referred to allegations in the videos regarding attempts to facilitate illegal seizure of land belonging to the poor and the alleged nexus between the mining mafia and police officers. “If there is even a small amount of truth in these allegations, it signifies not merely a police failure but a failure of the entire system,“ he said.

Mr. Marandi claimed that Dhanbad was fast becoming the epicentre of a parallel extortion network and said that given the gravity of the allegations, the entire matter should be investigated by the NIA to ensure a fair, transparent, and credible inquiry to ensure public trust.

Attacking the State government, Mr. Marandi said that if the extortion-driven networks and political patronage continued unabated, Jharkhand would descend into a state worse than “Jungle Raj.”