India Today:
A day after conducting raids on 40 locations linked to top Chhattisgarh bureaucrats, politicians, and businessmen, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) sources said that they had recovered Rs 4 crore cash, valuables worth crores, and important documents so far.
According to ED sources, some people used to collect an illegal commission of Rs 25 per tonne for every movement of coal in the state.
They said the commission was taken by a cartel led by Suryakant Tiwari, Badal Makkad District Congress president, and other government functionaries.
The ED sources said, on average, they had collected Rs 500 crore last year.
Several ED teams conducted raids on 40 properties linked to government officials, politicians, and businessmen close to Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in Chhattisgarh from 5 am on Tuesday. They were investigating a disproportionate assets (DA) case.
The central anti-money laundering agency teams raided several locations related to Soumya Chaurasia in Durg, CA Vijay Malu in Devendra Nagar, Raipur, Raigarh Collector Ranu Sahu’s residence in Raigarh, Agni Chandrakar in Mahasamund, Suryakant Tiwari in Anupam Nagar, Raipur and mining head IAS JP Maurya in Raipur, who is Ranu Sahu’s husband.
In the Mahasamund district, raids are being conducted at locations linked to politicians and businessmen, too. Vikas Nigam president and former MLA of Agni Chandrakar, Laxmikant Tiwari, Ajay Naidu, a close aide of Suryakant Tiwari, District Congress president Badal Makkad and real estate businessman Sunny Lunia, are under the scanner.
More than a dozen ED officers landed at Raigarh collector Ranu Shahu’s residence in the morning. Separate teams of the ED started conducting the raids in the morning in the state capital, Raipur, Raigarh, Mahasamund, Korba, and other districts, sources said.
