Gang supplying adulterated coal busted, seven held in Bharuch

The police have seized 90 tonnes of first-grade coal from the Magdalla port worth Rs 6.21 lakh, 55 tonnes of adulterants worth Rs 36,500 and six vehicles, including four trucks and a hatchback car worth Rs 62 lakh.

Acting on a tip-off, the Bharuch crime branch on Thursday night raided a godown in Ankleshwar belonging to one of the accused, Naeem. The godown was allegedly being used for committing the adulteration of the coal procured by GNAL from a supplier in Magdalla.

The crime branch statement said, “A group of people, including Karshan Govind Rangpara of Shyam Enterprises and his partners, were siphoning off the coal, purchased by GNAL, from the transport truck to sell it off to third parties…The coal from Surendranagar’s Thangadh, adulterated with fly ash and other components, was re-loaded in the truck and dispatched to GNAL.. Seven people found in accused Naeem’s godown located on the Ankleshwar-Surat highway confessed to the crime.”

The crime branch said that an FIR has been lodged at the Ankleshwar rural police station based on the complaint of GNAL officials, who confirmed that the coal seized from the godown was allegedly “adulterated”. The arrested accused were identified as Vaju Malkiya (42), Rajendra Saroj (32), Rohit Katara (24), Ajay Katara (20) Raees Ali (25), Ajmal Hussain Ali (32) and Sheru Amaliyar (25).