Chhattisgarh coal levy scam: ED raids Congress mayor’s premises in Raipur

Sources said the Enforcement Directorate has also conducted searches at the residences of a senior government official and a businessman whose names cropped up during investigation.

2 min readRaipurUpdated: Mar 30, 2023 02:02 AM IST

ED officials refused to comment on the matter, but hinted that an investigation agency can always file a supplementary chargesheet and name other accused in the case after their roles are established with evidence. (File)

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Chhattisgarh coal levy scam: ED raids Congress mayor’s premises in Raipur

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) continued its raids in connection with the Chhattisgarh coal levy scam on Wednesday, raiding the residential premises of three to four people, including Congress leader and Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar, a businessman and a senior government official.

According to the ED, a cartel involving senior bureaucrats, businessmen, politicians and middlemen was allegedly extorting a levy of Rs 25 per tonne for coal transported into Chhattisgarh.

The proceeds of the crime, the ED alleged, were being used for “investing in benami assets, bribing officials to influence senior officers and also used by or on behalf of political executives of the state”. As per 3,000 diary entries analysed by the ED, the total amount levy collected is Rs 540 crore. The ED has also submitted details of Rs 277 crore spent out of the Rs 540 crore.

Sources said on Wednesday morning that a team of ED officials raided Dhebar’s private bungalow in the city and searches are underway. On getting information, Congress workers rushed to the spot and protested the raids. Sources said ED has also conducted searches at the residences of a senior government official and a businessman whose names cropped up during investigations. The raids were also conducted in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday.

Last month, the ED had raided the places of several Congress leaders, including MLA Devendra Yadav, MLA Chandradev Prasad Rai, spokesperson RP Singh and treasurer Ramgopal Agrawal.

In October last year, the ED had arrested Chhattisgarh IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi, businessman Sunil Agrawal and another person in the coal case. On January 12, the agency raided 16 locations across Chhattisgarh, including the residences of an IAS officer, politicians and coal traders.

On January 30, the ED had filed a chargesheet in a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) special court in Raipur against eight people, including Saumya Chaurasia, former deputy secretary to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, in a related case.

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