Ed attaches ₹165-cr assets of anup majee in coal mining case

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday attached properties worth ₹165 crore belonging to Anup Majee, the alleged mastermind in West Bengal illegal coal mining scam, in which several Trinamool Congress leaders are under the scanner of central agencies

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday attached properties worth ₹165 crore belonging to Anup Majee, the alleged mastermind in West Bengal illegal coal mining scam, in which several Trinamool Congress leaders are under the scanner of central agencies.

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According to the ED, the attached assets include land, factory premises, machinery and other properties belonging to two companies -- M/s Ispat Damodar Private Limited and M/s Sonic Thermal Private Limited. “Investigation revealed that Majee had transferred funds worth ₹67.80 crore to these companies under the guise of share purchase of these companies required to acquire assets of these companies. The manufacturing plants of both these companies are situated in West Bengal’s Purulia and Bankura. Majee later transferred funds worth ₹98.06 crore to both these companies,” read the ED statement.

“The investigation also found that the transfer of funds to these companies were generated through illegal coal mining and the transactions were layered through a maze of shell companies,” it added.

The Enforcement Directorate took up the investigation based on an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation last year.

The agency recently arrested Vikas Mishra, the brother of Trinamool Congress leader Vinay Mishra, and Bankura inspector Ashok Mishra in connection with the same case.

Several people associated with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders, including party MP Abhishek Banerjee’s wife Rujira Banerjee and his in-laws, are under the scanner of central agencies with connection to the coal scam.

Anup Majee could not be reached for a comment.