ED searches 14 locations in Chhattisgarh, including premises of 2 Congress MLAs coal levy scam

New Delhi: The big news of ED raid is coming out in Chhattisgarh. On Monday morning, The Enforcement Directorate (ED) began searching 14 spots in Chhattisgarh in connection with the coal levy scam. Some of the premises being raided are linked to Congress legislators and office bearers, including the state party treasurer, sources said. More than 80 officers are involved in the raid.

According to information, all raid spots belong to MLAs and office bearers, who are close aides of Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel. CM Baghel has called for a student press meeting at his residence at 11 am. The searches included the residential and office premises of various Congress leaders namely Ram Gopal Agarwal, Girish Dewangan, RP Singh, Vinod Tiwari ad Sunny Agarwal, sources said.

Last month, the ED had also raided multiple locations in Chhattisgarh, including that of an IAS officer, and other locations in connection with its ongoing money laundering probe into the alleged coal levy scam in the state.In a prosecution complaint filed recently in the coal levy scam, the ED has claimed that politicians, bureaucrats in a criminal conspiracy illegally levied 25 paise coal levy, which resulted in proceeds of crime worth Rs 540 crores.

The ED has alleged that the proceeds of the crime were diverted to the party funds and other individuals.

CHHATTISGARH COAL SCAM

ED sources said, an illegal levy of Rs 25 per tonne for each tonne of coal transported in the state was being made by a cartel involving senior bureaucrats, traders, politicians and middlemen. They had collected an average of Rs 500 crore in 2021.

In October 2022, the ED had recovered Rs 4 crore in cash, valuables worth crores and important documents by raiding 40 locations linked to top bureaucrats, politicians and businessmen of Chhattisgarh.

So far, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s deputy secretary Soumya Chaurasia, Vishnoi, coal baron and alleged “mastermind of the scam” Suryakant Tiwari, his uncle Laxmikant Tiwari and another coal baron Sunil Agarwal have been arrested in this case.