Essar rejects allegations of paying Maoists protection money

Essar Group today rejected the allegations made in the US diplomatic cable published on WikiLeaks stating that it is a law abiding company and it does not pay protection money to Maoists.

Essar Group on Tuesday rejected the allegations made in the US diplomatic cable published on WikiLeaks that it paid protection money to Maoists, saying it is a law abiding corporate.

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"Essar is a law abiding corporate. We don't think it is appropriate or necessary to react to baseless and unfounded allegations," an Essar spokesperson said in a statement.

As per the cable published by whistleblower internet website WikiLeaks, "A senior representative from Essar, a major industrial company with large mining and steel-related facilities in Chhattisgarh, told Congenoff (the Consul General's Office) that the company pays the Maoists 'a significant amount' not to harm or interfere with their operations."