The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday carried out an operation in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district in connection with allegations of large-scale illegal mining.

A CBI team visited Amro village in the Talwara area before heading to the Mining Department's office on Tanda Road in Hoshiarpur.

According to local reports, around 10 vehicles reached Amro village, where allegations of extensive illegal mining have surfaced. The inquiry is likely to examine claims that mining operations excavated land to depths of 100 to 110 feet in parts of the district, allegedly levelling hills and causing extensive ecological damage.

The CBI has not officially disclosed the scope of Wednesday's operation, the material it examined or whether it recovered any items. Officials at the Mining Department's office declined to comment.

The operation follows a September 18 order by the Punjab and Haryana High Court directing the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry into allegations of rampant illegal mining in Hoshiarpur. The High Court expressed concern over extensive environmental destruction and possible collusion by state authorities. It also directed the agency to identify those responsible and ensure accountability.

The Court passed the order on a petition filed by Rahul Manchanda through advocate Saurav Bhatia.

The petition alleged that regulatory authorities had failed to prevent widespread environmental damage and accused officials from the Department of Mines and Geology and the Punjab Pollution Control Board of actively facilitating illegal mining. The petitioner also submitted photographs purportedly showing extensive ecological destruction in the affected areas.

The case has brought renewed attention to Punjab's mining regulatory framework and allegations of official complicity. It is the second case from the state that the High Court has referred to the CBI this year.

With the Punjab Assembly elections approaching in the coming months, the investigation could also bring greater scrutiny to the state government's handling of illegal mining.

However, the allegations remain under investigation, and the authorities must establish responsibility through the inquiry. Neither the CBI nor the local administration had issued an official statement detailing the operation or the next steps in the investigation at the time of publication.