NEW DELHI: Stating that a well-organised extortion racket is being run in Chhattisgarh by the state government officials in connivance with a wide “network of agents” the Enforcement Directorate has alleged that bribe in the form of illegal coal levy to the tune of “Rs 500 crore was raised in 16 months.”
The investigations have revealed that while the illegally raised funds are shared amongst the colluding parties and even given as bribes to politicians, part is also used to finance election expenditure, the ED has submitted before a special court in Raipur.
During this month, the ED conducted seral raids in Chhattisgarh and seized about Rs 6.5 crore in the form of unaccounted cash, gold & bullion and various other documents. Three persons including an IAS officer were arrested under Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The arrested persons include IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi, businessmen Sunil Agrawal, who owns the Indermani Group, and Laxmikant Tiwari, uncle of absconding businessman Suryakant Tiwari, who allegedly played a crucial role in the illegal fund collection and distribution process.
According to ED officials, investigations have revealed that collection of an illegal levy of Rs 25 per ton of coal which is transported from the mines like South Eastern Coalfields Limited and other units and places were being done.
The ED alleged this illegal extortion of levy is being done with the “active connivance of state mining officials, district officials by using a wide network of agents which are stationed at the coal belts and maintain a close liaison with the administration. “The delivery orders are issued only after the illegal levy is paid. The extortion syndicate is run in a well-planned conspiracy,” the ED alleged before the court while seeking custodial remand of the three arrested persons.
Investigations in the case reveal that Vishnoi with collusion of other government officials has created a framework of to disturb the pre-existing online process the ED officials said, alleging that vide two notifications Vishnoi made it mandatory to get manual approval of dispatching of all minerals by consumers by any mode of transportation.
This changed the more transparent system of online transport permits and made it mandatory for the miners/transporters to get manual NOC from the mining section of DM’s offices, the agency submitted.
Outlining the modus operandi, the ED has alleged that the cartel led by Tiwari set up a wide network with cash collectors spread across 8 areas and direct involvement of the offices of district magistrates for illegal collection of levies for transport permits or NOC for coal.
“Till the bribe amounts were not paid and communicated by this cartel to the officials at DM’s office, the NOCs were not given,” the agency submitted before the court.The ED further submitted that documents with the I-T (income Tax) department and a report shared by them (I-T) show that “in a period of 16 months more than 500 crores of bribe/levy was collected.”
IAS nabbed for ‘graft’
During this month, the ED conducted seral raids in Chhattisgarh and seized about `6.5 crore in the form of unaccounted cash, gold & bullion and various other documents. Three persons including an IAS officer were arrested under Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The arrested persons include IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi, businessmen Sunil Agrawal, who owns the Indermani Group, and Laxmikant Tiwari, uncle of absconding businessman Suryakant Tiwari