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Coal levy scam: ED searches 13 locations linked to Congress leaders in C’garh

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday carried out searches at over 13 locations in Chhattisgarh on the premises of Congress leaders just four days ahead of the grand old party’s 85th plenary session to be held in the mineral-rich state from February 24 to 26.

According to ED officials, the agency sleuths started their searches at the premises of Chhattisgarh state unit Treasurer Ram Gopal Agarwal, party spokesperson RP Singh, MLA Devendra Yadav, another party leader Sunil Sunny Agarwal, and others.

The case is related to an illegal mining levy scam in the state in which the ED had arrested IAS officer Saumya Chaurasia and others.

Chaurasia was the former Deputy secretary in CMO. The ED also arrested Deepesh Taunk – a close confidant of Chaurasia, mining officers Sandeep Kumar Nayak (Surajpur) and Shiv Shankar Nag (Korba), Rajesh Chaudhary, and another accused Suryakant Tiwari.

The ED had earlier issued attached proceeds of crime worth Rs 152.5 crores and has filed a chargesheet under the PMLA.

The ED had earlier carried out searches in Chhattisgarh, Delhi, and Pune in connection with the case which pertains to the extortion of an illegal levy of Rs 25 per tonne for each tonne of coal that was transported in Chhattisgarh by a cartel involving senior bureaucrats, businessmen politicians, and middlemen.

The development comes just four days before the party’s 85th Plenary Session in Raipur on February 24 in which all top politicians of the Congress will be in attendance.

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