Ex-ECL official among two more arrested in coal smuggling case

A chargesheet was filed on July 19, 2022, in a court in Asansol under Paschim Bardhman (West Bengal) against 41 accused, including then general managers, then chief managers, then security and other officials of ECL and private persons and private companies. The case was registered in November, 2020, on the allegations that a private person, the public servants of ECL including security personnel and unidentified officials including of CISF, Railway, other departments & unknown others entered into conspiracy during May 2020  onwards and in pursuance of the said conspiracy, they fraudulently misappropriated coal from the coal reserve of leasehold areas of ECL and also from the coal stock stacked in the Railway sidings for sale and supply.

“It was further alleged that the said accused had obtained undue advantage in the form of huge and regular cash amount as bribe from the said private person and facilitated misappropriation of coal from ECL leasehold area & corresponding railway siding and thereby extended undue protection & patronage to the illegal coal syndicate being run by the said private person,” read a statement issued by CBI.

The CBI had also conducted searches at several places West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh at the premises of accused. During further investigation, the role of arrested accused also came who had allegedly obtained undue advantage in the form of huge cash as bribe from co-accused (private person) and facilitated misappropriation of coal from ECL leasehold area and corresponding railway siding.