Coal levy scam: ED attaches fresh benami assets of Saumya Chaurasia, others

Earlier, the ED attached properties worth ₹152.31 crore belonging to Tiwari, Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Sameer Vishnoi, Saumya Chaurasia, and businessman Sunil Agarwal among others

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached 51 properties, including eight Benami immovable assets worth ₹7.57 crore of Saumya Chaurasia, deputy secretary of Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, in the alleged coal levy extortion scam, the agency said on Monday.

Coal scam accused Saumya Chaurasia was arrested by ED in December last year (File Photo)

Besides Chaurasia’s assets, the federal economic intelligence agency has attached 43 Benami properties belonging to the businessman and coal mining kingpin Suryakant Tiwari, officials said.

The total value of 51 properties is estimated to be worth ₹17.48 crore, ED said.

Earlier, the ED attached properties worth ₹152.31 crore belonging to Tiwari, Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Sameer Vishnoi, Saumya Chaurasia, and businessman Sunil Agarwal among others.

Overall, ED has so far attached assets worth ₹170 crore in the alleged coal Chhattisgarh coal scam case and arrested nine people under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

“ED investigation has established that proceeds of crime worth ₹540 crore were acquired in this extortion racket. A systemic network of extortion was set up with the active connivance and participation of large number of bureaucrats and higher powers. ED is investigating the entire gamut of the extortion racket,” the probe agency said in a statement on Monday.

It informed a Raipur court in December’s first week that Chaurasia and Tiwari extorted the funds as an illegal levy from coal and mining transporters in the state and used it for “election funding”.

The anti-money laundering investigating agency stated that Chaurasia is an officer posted in the CM’s office and is known to be very close to various politicians and is a very influential person.

“The role of the political executives and other senior functionaries of the chief minister’s office and state’s bureaucracy needs to be ascertained and she needs to be questioned regarding their role and involvement in this extortion racket... large amounts of payments made in cash out of the extorted coal levy are still shrouded in mystery because of the use of code words and evasive answers by Tiwari,” the ED told the court while seeking her custody then.

Chaurasia, deputy secretary at CM Baghel’s office, was arrested by ED in December last year in a money-laundering case linked to the alleged extortion of an illegal levy from coal and mining transporters in the state.

All arrested accused persons in the case are currently in judicial custody.