ED attaches ₹8.52 crore of Odisha’s Serajuddin & Co in illegal mining case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has said that the amount has been treated as ‘proceeds of crime’ by Serajuddin & Co from the illegal mining of manganese and iron ores in Odisha

Updated on: Jul 3, 2022, 11:54:46 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Eight days after its officials conducted search operation on the premises of mining leaseholder Serajuddin & co on charges of illegal mining of iron and manganese ore, the Enforcement Directorate on Saturday said it has attached Rs. 8.52 crore kept in the bank account of its directors under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

ED earlier attached movable properties of ₹622 crore of Serajuddin & Co under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (File Photo)

In a press release, ED said that the money lying in the bank accounts of Seraj Yusha, Meraj Yusha and Yazdani International Pvt. Ltd(part of Serajuddin & Co) in a case of illegal mining of iron ore. The amount kept in Axis Bank has been treated as “proceeds of crime” by Serajuddin & Co.from the illegal mining

of manganese and iron ores in Odisha.

ED said the company extracted manganese ore of 1.43 million tonnes illegally from Guruda manganese ore mines in Keonjhar district without having approved de-reservation proposal. Serajuddin & Co produced more iron ore during different year in comparison to the approved quantity of iron ore by Indian Bureau of Mines, it said.

ED has already attached movable properties of Rs. 622 crore of Serajuddin & Co. under the provisions of PMLA which has been confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority. Subsequently, a Prosecution Complaint has also been filed before the PMLA Special Court in Bhubaneswar.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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