Summarize the following court judgment. ition Nos. 112 115	 175	 297	 194 198	 489 90	 459	 215	 2 3 and 432/80	 1477 of 1979	 1516B 1517/79. (Under Article 32 of the Constitution) AND SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (CIVIL) No. 2746 of 1980. From the judgment and order dated the 11th February	 1980 of the High Court of Calcutta in Appeal from an order No. Nil of 1980. A. K. Srivastava for the Petitioners in WP Nos. 213 and 175/80. H. K. Puri for the Petitioners in WP Nos. 1516	 1517	 1477/79 and 2 3 of 1980. M. P. Jha for the Petitioners in WP No. 297/80. Dr. Y. section Chitale	 B. P. Singh and Naresh K. Sharma for the Petitioners in WPs Nos. 112 115/80. P. R. Mridul and D. P. Mukherjee for the Petitioners in WPs 489 490 and 432 of 1980. A. K. Sen	 section K. Sinha and C. K. Ratnaparkhi for the Petitioners in WPs. 194 198/80. Dr. Y. S Chitale	 G. section Chatterjee	 and D. P. Mukherjee for the Petitioners in SLP No. 2746 of 1980. section K. Jain for the Petitioners in WP No. 439/80. M. K. Banerjee Addl. and Miss A. Subhashini for the Respondent No. 3 in WP Nos. 112 115	 175/80. Lal Narain Sinha Att. and U. P. Singh for the Respondent State of Bihar and Its official in WP Nos. 112 115/80	 1477/79	 175	 213	 2 3	 459	 489 90/80 and SLP No. 2746/80. M. K. Banerjee	 Addl. and section B. Sinha and D. P. Mukherjee for the Respondent No. 9 in WPs 112 115 of 1980. Rathin Das for the Respondents (State of West Bengal) in WPs. 1516 1517/79. section section Jauhar for the Interveners in WP No. 175/80. The Judgment of the Court was delivered by KRISHNA IYER	 J. We have a hunch we leave it at that that these "Workers" writ petitions arc a kind of litigative puppetry. 597 the illicit mine exploiters being the puppeteers. This set of writ petitions	 where some private management claim to have the right to extract coking coal on the score that prohibition enacted in the Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Amendment Act	 1976 does 'not affect or operate on coking coal mines	 must be dismissed as devoid of deserts. The short point sharply focussed by Dr. Chitale and echoed with some variant notes by other counsel	 in support of these writ petitions may be briefly stated thus. According to him	 the history of coal nationalisation legislation in this country in the seventies of this century shows that Parliament has treated coal and coking coal separately for legislative purposes in regard to taking over of management	 nationalisation of ownership and the like. It all began with the year 1971 when Parliament enacted the (hereinafter called the 1971 Act	 for short). It took over management of coking coal mines. Iron and Steel are key industries requiring	 importantly	 coking coal for their very survival. When Parliament found that coking coal was not being made available properly to the Industry on account of the unsatisfactory con duct of the private sector operating in this field	 the entire management of coking coal mines. was taken over on an emergency footing in the public interest be the 1971 Act. Thereafter	 with more deliberation and detailed investigation	 the management of coking coal mines (and of other coal mines) was taken over by appropriate legislation. Still later	 after mature planning and understanding of implications	 Parliament enacted legislation for vesting of ownership of coking coal Mines and eventually of all coal mines. The Management of coking coal was taken over by the Central Government under . The management of all other coal mines was taken over by the Central Government under the Coal Mines (Taking over of Management) Act	 1973. The second step after management came under the control of the Central Government was the actual nationalisation of ownership itself. This state of planning led to Parliamentary enactments of (36 of 1972) and the (26 of 1973). The sequence of events shows the evolution of national policy in this regard. Coking coal	 being absolutely essential	 was first taken over urgently. Later on	 the entire coal industry came under Parliamentary consideration and management thereof was taken over. Finally	 the ownership of all coal mines	 including coking coal mines	 was vested in the Central Government and in certain instrumentalities created by Central Government. Thus we see that the comprehensive plan behind coal nationalisation did not permit of private agencies operating in the field. Coking coal was 19 289 SCI/80 598 more strategic than ordinary coal having regard to its use for iron and steel industries. Nevertheless	 it was found as a fact that on account of these mines being located in remote places and in jungles	 especially in the State of Bihar and Bengal	 the Central Government wanted to take effective steps to put an end to clandestine mining by any private agency. The jungle of laws haphazardly enacted partly helped the privateers get round the law and clandestinely or even through court receivers extract coal as there was big money in it. Therefore	 the 1976 Act was enacted to plug all loopholes	 virtually banish the private sector and to ensure legal success for Project Public Sector in the field of coal mining. Section 3(3) of the 1976 Act reads thus: 3.(3) on and from the commencement of section 3 of the Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Amendment Act. 1976: (i) the Central Government or a Government company or a corporation owned	 managed or controlled by the Central Government	 or (ii) a person to whom a sub lease	 referred to in the proviso to clause (c) has been granted by any such Government	 company or Corporation	 or (iii) a company engaged in the production of iron and steel	 shall carry on coal mining operation in India	 in any form; (b) excepting the mining leases granted before such commencement in favour of the Government	 company or corporation	 referred to in clause(a)	 and any sub lease granted by any such Government	 company or corporation	 all other mining leases and sub leases in force immediately before such commencement	 shall	 in so far as they relate to the winning or mining of coal	 stand terminated; (c) no lease for winning or mining coal shall be granted in favour of any person other than the Government	 company or corporation	 referred to in clause(a): Section 4 of the same Act super adds severe punishment for contravention of the prohibition contained in section 3(3). The total effect thus is clear. The Parliament wanted to prevent the mischief of coal P! mining and other illicit extraction of coal to the national detriment. Scratching	 slaughter mining and such like activities on the sly were regarded as defeating the nationalisation scheme. 599 Counsel for the petitioners contended that the legislative history A was relevant to the interpretation of section 3(3) of the 1976 Act. In his submission	 the amendment brought about in 1976 incorporating total interdict of mining applied only in relation to coal mines and not in relation to coking coal mine. For this argument he sought sustenance from the existence of two sets of legislation dealing with coal mines and coking coal mines throughout the 1970s. He further pointed out that even as late as 1978 when amendments were contemplated in regard to coal mines ' and coking coal mines ' nationalisation there were separate provisions separately inserted in both the nationalisation measures. He cited the 1978 Act as illustrative	 even decisive. The absence of any mention of coking coal mines in the 1976 Act	 was	 in his submission	 conclusive of the parliamentary intent in his favour	 especially when read in the light of the history of the package of nationalisation legislations. We are far from satisfied that there is substance in this submission. History may illumine but cannot imprison interpretation. It is true that in 1971 when Parliament was faced with a crisis regarding need for coking coal in iron and steel industries a legislation	 on an emergency footing	 was made solely confined to coking coal mines. As we have earlier explained	 the plan of the nation in regard to these natural resources was then embryonic and later final and there was step by step legislation to implement the policy on a phased programme. The culmination came in the blanket ban of 1976. We are concerned here with the interpretation of section 3(3) which we reproduce again for facility of reference at this state: 3.(3) on and from the commencement of section 3 of the Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Amendment Act	 1976	 (a) no person	 other than (i) the Central Government or a Government company or a corporation owned	 managed or controlled by the Central Government. Or G (ii) a person to whom a sub lease	 referred to in the proviso to clause (c) has been granted by any such Government	 company or corporation	 or (iii) a company engaged in the production of iron and steel	 shall carry on coal mining operation	 in India	 in any form; . 600 (b) excepting the mining leases granted before such commencement in favour of the Government	 company or corporation	 referred to in clause (a)	 and any sub lease granted by any such Government	 company or corporation	 all other mining leases and sub leases in force immediately before such commencement	 shall	 in so far as they relate to the winning or mining of coal. stand terminated; (c) no lease for winning or mining coal shall be granted in favour of any person other than the Government	 company or corporation	 referred to in clause (a): Provided that the Government	 company or corporation to whom a lease for winning or mining coal has been granted may grant a sub lease to any person in any area on such terms and conditions as may be specified in the instrument granting the sub lease	 if the Government	 company or corporation is satisfied that (i) the reserves of coal in the area are in isolated small pockets or are not sufficient for scientific and economical development in a coordinated and integrated manner	 and (ii) the coal produced by sub lessee will not be required to be transported by rail. The short question of statutory construction turns on the meaning to be assigned to the expression "no person	 other than the Central Government or a Government company or a corporation owned	 managed or controlled by the Central Government. shall carry on coal mining operations in India	 in any form". The expression is semantically sweeping and is wide in meaning so as to spare no class of coal	 including even coking coal	 because coking coal is a species of coal	 coal itself being the genus. What is more	 there is a definition of 'coal mine ' in the Coal mines (Nationalisation) Act	 1973. Section 2(b) of the 1973 Act defines coal mine to mean "a mine in which there exists one or more seams of coal". It is apparent that even a coking coal mine is a coal mine because the definition is broad. It is inarguable that coking coal is not coal. This conclusion is reinforced by looking at the definition of coking coal mine in section 3(c) of the . Section 3(c) reads thus: "coking coal mine" means a coal mine in which there exists one or more seams of coking coal	 whether exclusively or in addition to any seam of other coal. 601 Indeed	 it is irrefutable	 viewed literally	 lexically	 semantically	 teleologically or applying the rule in Heydon 's case that coking coal mine is a coal mine. If it is a coal mine it is covered by the 1976 Act. Coking coal is more precious		 strategically speaking	 than other forms of coal and it would be an error	 nay a blunder	 to prevent private extraction of common coal and to permit removal of coking coal. It would be pathetic and bathetic for any policy maker to be so egregious. Parliament may err but not be absurd ! So construed	 it is obvious that coking coal	 which is more importantly needed for the nation than other supplies of coal	 must be the last to be squandered away by permitting it to be privately exploited. We have no hesitation in holding that 'coal mine ' in the 1976 Act includes coking coal mine and section 3(3) of that Act clamps down the ban on extraction of coking coal also. lt was feebly submitted that some of the mines may have fire clay layers to reach which the mining operation may have to pass through coal seams; and	 therefore	 such operation cannot be prohibited. We are not impressed with this argument at all. Even assuming there is fire clay or other layer somewhere in the bowels of the earth the statutory mandate is that once you come up on a coal seam you shall stop extracting it to proceed beyond. Maybe	 some injury may be caused	 fancied or real	 but it is permissible for Parliament to make provision to prevent evasion of the purpose of the statute by prohibition of mining other minerals which may incidentally defeat the coal nationalisation measure. In this view we find no merit in any of the writ petitions and dismiss them all with costs. It has been mentioned on more than one occasion in this court that interlocutory orders have been sought and obtained	 that Receivers have been appointed by other courts and that they have been working these mines. In the face of the statutory prohibition which is imperative in tone and all embracing in language	 even punishable for violation	 it is surprising that any Receiver could at all dare to work mines without running a grave risk. The court cannot sanction the commission of a crime. We make it perfectly plain that there will be no more authorisation for any receiver or other officer of court to extract coal or coking coal from any mine in India. Section 3(3) of the 1976 Act	 being all inclusive and having been constitutionally upheld by thus Court	 it is no longer permissible for any court in India n 602 to appoint a receiver for or otherwise permit extraction of coal or coking coal. These observations and reasonings must converge to only one conclusion that the crowd of writ petitions deserve to be and are hereby dismissed of course	 with costs. We would conclude with a conscientious query will the State keep the coal mafia out	 break the coal racket where government agencies are suspect and demonstrate that	 the court having come to the aid of the Executive	 nationalisation will fulfil the targets and tide over the crisis ? Caesar 's wife must be above suspicion. S.R. Petitions dismissed.

Dismissing the petitions	 the Court ^ HELD 1. "Coal Mine" in the 1976 Act includes coking coal mine and section 3(3) of that Act clamps down the ban on extraction of Coking Coal also [601B C] History may illumine but cannot imprison interpretation. It is true that in 1971 when Parliament was faced with a crisis regarding need for coking coal in iron and steel industries	 on an emergency footing was made solely confined to coking coal mines. The plan of the nation in regard to these natural resources was then embryonic and later final and there was step by step legislation to implement the policy on a phased programme. The culmination came in the blanket ban of 1976. [599D E] The expression in Section 3(3) is semantically sweeping and is wide in meaning so as to spare no class of coal	 including even coking coal	 because coking coal is a species of coal	 coal itself being the genus. Section 2(b) of the 1973 Act defines coal mine to mean "a mine in which there exists one or more seams of coal". Even a coking coal mine is a coal mine because the definition is broad and this is clear from the definition of coking coal mine in Section 3(c) of the . [600E G] Coking coal is more precious	 strategically speaking	 than other forms of coal and it would be an error	 nay a blunder	 to prevent private extraction of common coal and to permit removal of coking coal. It would be pathetic and bathetic for any policy maker to be so egregious. Parliament may err but not be absurd! So construed	 it is obvious that coking coal	 which is more importantly needed for the nation than other supplies of coal	 must be the last to be squandered away by permitting it to be privately exploited. [601A B] 3. Even assuming there is a fire clay or other layer somewhere in the bowels of the earth tho statutory mandatory is that once you come up on a coal seem you shall stop extracting it to proceed beyond. May be some injury may be caused	 fancied or real	 but it is permissible for Parliament to make provision to prevent evasion of the purpose of the statute by prohibition of mining other minerals which may incidentally defeat tho coal nationalisation measure. [601D F] 596 4. Section 3(3) of the 1976 Act	 being all inclusive and having been constitutionally upheld it is no longer permissible for any Court In India to appoint a receiver for or otherwise permit extraction of coal or coking coal. The Court cannot sanction the commission of a crime. [601G	 H	 602A]