Raipur
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday attached eight immovable properties valued at ₹2.66 crore belonging to Saumya Chaurasia and Nikhil Chandrakar in connection with the alleged Chhattisgarh coal levy case.
The Raipur Zonal Office of the federal agency confirmed that the attached assets include land parcels and residential flats. These properties were allegedly acquired by the accused in the names of their relatives using proceeds of crime generated from illegal coal levy collections and extortion.
Investigations have revealed that a syndicate comprising private individuals, senior politicians, and bureaucrats extorted money from coal transporters at a rate of ₹25 per tonne between July 2020 and June 2022. The agency estimated that approximately ₹540 crore was illegally collected during this period.
The extorted funds were reportedly used to bribe government officials, fund election-related expenses, and acquire various assets. With the latest action, the total value of properties attached by the ED in this case has reached ₹273 crore.
The money laundering probe was initiated based on FIRs registered by the Bengaluru Police and the Chhattisgarh Economic Offences Wing (EOW) / Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), alongside a complaint from the Income Tax Department.
So far, the ED has arrested 11 individuals and filed five charge sheets against 35 accused persons before a special court.
The ACB/EOW has also registered a separate FIR against 36 individuals, including two former ministers and several MLAs, based on the ED’s findings. Key individuals previously arrested in the case include IAS officers Ranu Sahu and Sameer Vishnoi, apart from Chaurasia, who served as a deputy secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office during the previous government.
