The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday arrested Chhattisgarh cadre IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi and two different individuals after it launched multi-city raids within the state early this week as a part of a cash laundering investigation, officers stated.
Businessman Sunil Agrawal of the Indramani group and Laxmikant Tiwari, uncle of “absconding” businessman Suryakant Tiwari, have additionally been taken into custody within the morning by the federal company from state capital Raipur, they stated.
The three individuals have been arrested below prison sections of the Prevention of Cash Laundering Act (PMLA) and might be produced earlier than a neighborhood court docket, the place the ED will search their additional custody.
Vishnoi, an Indian Administrative Service officer of 2009 batch, is at present working because the CEO of the Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society. He was questioned by the company at its workplace in Raipur on Wednesday together with few others.
The arrests got here after the company launched a number of raids in Chhattisgarh on October 11 in a cash laundering case linked to alleged unlawful levy extorted from coal and mining transporters within the state by a purported nexus of presidency officers, businessmen and personal entities.
The company has additionally sealed the residence of IAS officer and Raigarh district Collector Ranu Sahu as she was not out there throughout the raids that started on Tuesday.
Sahu is known to have knowledgeable the company that she was present process a medical process and has assured cooperation within the investigation.
ED sources, nevertheless, stated the IAS officer of 2010 batch is but to look on the company’s workplace in Raipur “regardless of clear directions” to take action.
The company has additionally seized Rs 4 crore money and jewelry throughout the newest searches. The cash laundering case stems from an Revenue Tax Division grievance and cost sheet filed into these situations of alleged levy extortion.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday hit out on the Centre over the ED raids, saying probe businesses shouldn’t be “misused” for political mileage or to defame the state authorities, its officers and politicians.
Former chief minister of the state and BJP chief Raman Singh on Wednesday alleged that Baghel is an ‘ATM of Sonia Gandhi’ and that an ‘unlawful levy’ of Rs 25 per tonne is being collected for coal transportation in Chhattisgarh.
Baghel has sought an apology from Singh for the remarks.