E-Paper
Money Laundering: Chhattisgarh court extends ED custody of IAS officer, 2 others
ED has claimed that a ‘massive scam’ was taking place in coal transportation in Chhattisgarh, under which politicians, officers and others were allegedly running a parallel system of extorting illegal levy
A special court in Chhattisgarh on Friday extended the Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody of an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and two others in a money laundering case linked to the alleged extortion of money from coal and mining transporters in the state.
Additional district and sessions judge Ajay Singh Rajput extended the remand of IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi, businessman Sunil Agrawal and Laxmikant Tiwari, the uncle of absconding coal businessman Suryakant Tiwari.
“The accused were produced before the court on expiry of their eight-day ED custody,” Tiwari’s lawyer Faizal Rizvi told reporters.
ED on October 13 arrested Vishnoi, Agrawal and Tiwar after it launched multi-city raids in the state on October 11. The trio was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
In a release issued on October 14, ED claimed that a “massive scam” was taking place in coal transportation in Chhattisgarh, under which a “cartel” of politicians, officers and others were allegedly running a “parallel system of extorting illegal levy”, which is generating about ₹2-3 crore daily.
The probe agency alleged that Vishnoi and his wife were found in possession of “unaccounted” cash to the tune of ₹47 lakh and 4 kg gold jewellery.
ED raids also covered premises of two other IAS officers-- Raigarh collector Ranu Sahu and her husband JP Maurya, director of the mining department.
