Coal Levy 'Scam': ED Searches Premises Of C'garh Congress Leaders, CM Alleges 'BJP Frustrated With...'

The Enforcement Directorate conducted raids at multiple locations in Chhattisgarh, including premises linked to Congress leaders, in connection with the coal levy money laundering case.

ED raids multiple premises of Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh in Coal Levy 'Scam'

Source : ANI | Twitter

Coal Levy Scam: The Enforcement Directorate on Monday conducted raids at multiple locations in Chhattisgarh, including premises linked to Congress leaders, in connection with the coal levy money laundering case, reported PTI citing officials. 

Official sources told PTI that searches were carried out at over a dozen locations including the residential and office premises linked to Congress leaders and some MLAs. 

ANI reported that searches are being conducted at the premises of Ramgopal Agarwal, Treasurer, Chattisgarh Congress. ED is also conducting raids on Bhilai MLA Devendra Yadav, Girish Devangan, RP Singh, Vinod Tiwari, Sunny Agarwal, ANI added. 

According to ANI, the Enforcement Directorate has strong evidence that Ramgopal Agarwal received Rs 52 crore from Suryakant Tiwari who is currently under judicial custody. 

The Enforcement Directorate has strong evidence of Ramgopal Agarwal received Rs 52 crore from Suryakant Tiwari who is currently under judicial custody.

— ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2023

Reacting to the raids, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel launched an attack on BJP and said that the saffron party is rattled by the success of the Bharat Jodo Yatra and the truth of Adani being exposed.

Baghel tweeted, "BJP is frustrated with Bharat Jodo Yatra's success & truth of Adani being exposed. This raid is an attempt to divert attention. After 4 days there's Congress convention in Raipur. Our spirits can't be broken by stopping our people engaged in preparations."

छत्तीसगढ़ प्रदेश कांग्रेस कमेटी के कोषाध्यक्ष, पार्टी के पूर्व उपाध्यक्ष और एक विधायक सहित मेरे कई साथियों के घरों पर आज ईडी ने छापा मारा है।

चार दिनों के बाद रायपुर में कांग्रेस का महाधिवेशन है। तैयारियों में लगे साथियों को इस तरह रोककर हमारे हौसले नहीं तोड़े जा सकते। 1/2

— Bhupesh Baghel (@bhupeshbaghel) February 20, 2023

'भारत जोड़ो यात्रा' की सफलता से और अडानी की सच्चाई खुलने से भाजपा हताश है। यह छापा ध्यान भटकाने का प्रयास है।

देश सच जानता है। हम लड़ेंगे और जीतेंगे। 2/2

— Bhupesh Baghel (@bhupeshbaghel) February 20, 2023

The raids come ahead of the three-day plenary session of the Congress from February 24-26 in the state capital Raipur.  

Officials said, as per PTI, that the ED is investigating those who have been the beneficiaries of the proceeds of crime of the alleged coal levy scam perpetrated during the tenure of the current Congress government. 

According to PTI, ED has alleged that the probe relates to "a massive scam in which illegal levy of Rs 25 was being extorted for every tonne of coal transported in Chhattisgarh by a cartel involving senior bureaucrats, businessmen, politicians and middlemen". 

Nine people have been arrested in the case so far. It includes Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel's deputy secretary Saumya Chaurasia, Vishnoi, coal trader and alleged "main kingpin of the scam" Suryakant Tiwari, his uncle Laxmikant Tiwari and another coal businessman Sunil Agrawal. 

ED had also raided multiple locations in the state last month including that of an IAS officer, mentioned ANI in its report. 

The federal investigation agency initiated a probe in the case in October last year after it raided another IAS officer of the state, Sameer Vishnoi, and some businessmen. 

As per the report, Sameer Vishnoi, an IAS Officer of the 2009 Batch, and his wife were found to be in possession of Rs 47 Lacs of unaccounted cash and Gold jewellery of 4 kg. 

The ED had earlier claimed that Chaurasia, Vishnoi and some coal traders allegedly linked to them "used" their relatives to create "benami" assets after the agency attached their properties worth more than Rs 150 crore in December last year. 

ED alleged that a "grand conspiracy" was hatched in the natural resources-rich state to perpetrate a coal levy 'scam' in which Rs 540 crore has been "extorted" over the last two years.