The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected Jharkhand's plea against a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into an illegal mining case involving persons linked to Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The state had argued that its prior consent was necessary before the CBI could step in. Justice Sanjay Kumar, leading the Bench, said, "The commitment of the state and its agencies exist beyond subservience to the political party in power or the leader of the day." He called the state a "continuum" responsible for law and order. Justice Kumar questioned the state's role, asking, "Why did the State come here [to the Supreme Court] to protect alleged illegal mining, be it by the friends or family of the Chief Minister?" The state replied it only questioned the exceptional nature of the CBI probe, not the investigation itself. The court noted the state delayed filing a First Information Report (FIR) for five months in 2022 despite a Magistrate's order. It said the state can't protect accused persons once the CBI is involved. "The inaction on the part of the State after the order of February 7, 2022... does not inspire confidence," said the court. The bench also mentioned that the complainant, Bijay Hansda, was "forced to withdraw" his allegations but the High Court denied permission. The High Court had observed the state's counter-affidavit did not even confirm whether there was an investigation. Only a technical cell was probing the complainant's phone. "Once such facts were brought to the notice of a Constitutional court, it could not let such facts go unattended," the Supreme Court noted. It described the state's petition as "utterly misconceived." The complaint names accused like Bishnu Prasad Yadav, Pavitra Kumar Yadav, Rajesh Yadav, and others close to CM Hemant Soren. They are alleged to be involved in a large-scale illegal mining scam in Sahibganj, Jharkhand. The scam supposedly involved collusion with state officials. The Supreme Court's decision reinforces the CBI's authority to investigate without state interference in this high-profile case.