The Enforcement Directorate, which arrested Chhattisgarh IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi together with two others in reference to a cash laundering case, has claimed that officers and politicians within the state had been concerned in an unlawful levy on coal transportation which was producing Rs 2-3 crore per day.
The company has arrested one Laxmikant Tiwari and Sunil Kumar Agarwal of Indramani Group in reference to the case, together with Vishnoi. It has claimed that Raigadh Collector Ranu Sahu and kingpin of the alleged rip-off Suryakant Tiwari are lacking.
“Through the course of search and investigation, money of Rs 1.5 crore, which was discovered with Laxmikant Tiwari was seized. He has admitted that he dealt with [Rs] 1-2 crore of the extorted cash on every day foundation. Sunil Kumar Agrawal of Indramani Group, an enormous coal businessman was discovered to be concerned on this racket and…a enterprise associate of Suryakant Tiwari. Sameer Vishnoi and his spouse had been discovered to be in possession of Rs 47 lakh of unaccounted money and gold jewelry (4kg),” the ED mentioned in an announcement on Friday.
In accordance with the ED, the accused are a part of a rip-off through which unlawful levy of Rs 25 per tonne was being allegedly extorted. The proceeds of the crime, the ED has alleged, had been getting used for “investing in benami property, bribing officers to affect senior officers and in addition utilized by or on behalf of political executives of the state”.
The ED initiated the cash laundering investigation primarily based on an FIR lodged by Earnings Tax Division. The company has seized Rs 4.5 crore unaccounted money, gold jewelry, bullion and different valuables price round Rs 2 crore (approx) in its searches within the case.
In accordance with the ED, extortion of unlawful coal levy turned rampant when the Director of Geology and Mining Division, issued a notification on July 15, 2020, which modified the sooner on-line means of e-permit for transporting the coal from mines to customers to handbook NOC. No SOP or process was circulated on this regard, the ED has claimed.
On Wednesday, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel had hit out on the Centre over the ED searches at a number of places within the state, saying “the probe companies shouldn’t be misused for political mileage”. Speaking to reporters in Raipur, Baghel sought to know why the company has not revealed particulars of restoration made throughout its motion.