New Delhi [India], January 12 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said it has attached eight immovable properties valued at Rs 2.66 crore belonging to arrested Chhattisgarh officer and former deputy secretary to ex-Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Saumya Chaurasia, and co-accused Nikhil Chandrakar, which were allegedly acquired through proceeds of crime, including illegal coal levy collections and other extortion-related activities.
Both had acquired these properties in the names of their relatives from the Proceeds of Crime generated from the commission of a scheduled offence, said the ED in a statement.
ED's Raipur Zonal Office attached these properties under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The properties included eight immovable assets comprising land parcels and residential flats, valued at Rs 2.66 crore.
ED initiated investigation on the basis of FIR No. 129/2022 registered by Bengaluru Police; Prosecution Complaint No. 3167/2023 dated June 19, 2023 filed by the Income Tax Department; and FIR No. 03/2024 dated January 11, 2024 registered by Economic Offences Wing and Anti-Corruption Branch in Raipur in the matter of illegal collection of coal levy in the state of Chhattisgarh.
"Investigation has revealed that a group of private individuals, in active connivance with senior state politicians and bureaucrats, had formed a racket to extort money from coal transporters at the rate of Rs 25 per tonne of coal transported during the period from July 2020 to June 2022. During this period, approximately Rs 540 crore was illegally collected by the syndicate. The extorted cash, constituting Proceeds of Crime (POC), was used to bribe government officials and politicians, fund election-related expenses, and acquire movable and immovable assets," said the ED.
So far, properties worth Rs 273 crore belonging to the accused persons have been identified and attached.
During the course of investigation, 11 persons have been arrested by the ED, and till date, five Prosecution Complaints against 35 accused persons have been filed before the Special PMLA court.