A startling development unfolded in the Madhya Pradesh High Court when a judge recused himself from hearing a plea linked to illegal mining after noting that a sitting legislator had tried to reach out to him.
The case stemmed from a petition filed by social worker Ashutosh Dixit, who accused the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of inaction on complaints of illegal excavation by M/s Nirmala Minerals, a firm owned by the family of BJP MLA Sanjay Pathak. The petition, which first came up in July 2025, is still at the admission stage.
On Monday, Justice Vishal Mishra of the Jabalpur Bench recorded in his order that Sanjay Pathak, a five-time MLA and former minister, had attempted to call him regarding the case. He stated, “Mr. Sanjay Pathak has made an attempt to call me to have discussion regarding this particular matter, therefore, I am not inclined to entertain this writ petition.”
The Judge directed that the matter be placed before the Chief Justice for listing before another bench. The order also noted that the power of attorney filed by the interveners, Sanjay Pathak’s mother, Nirmala Pathak, and son, Yash Pathak, indicated their interest in the proceedings. They had moved to intervene in Dixit’s plea, which names their firm in the alleged mining activities.
In earlier hearings, the EOW had informed the bench that the complaint was referred to the mining department for necessary action. It was in this context that Nirmala Pathak and her grandson, Yash Pathak, moved an application seeking to intervene in the matter.
Meanwhile, repeated efforts to reach Sanjay Pathak for his response went unanswered. The legislator, whose family is engaged in the mining business in Katni, has not commented on the court’s observations so far.
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