New Delhi: Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth Rs 152.31 crore of Chhattisgarh CM’s deputy secretary Saumya Chaurasia, IAS Sameer Bishnoi and Suryakant Tiwari among others in a money laundering case. This action has been taken in the case of commission at Rs 25 per tonne of coal. Out of the properties attached by ED, 65 belong to Suryakant Tiwari, 21 belong to Saumya Chaurasia and five belong to IAS Sameer Bishnoi. The attached properties include cash, jewellery, flats, coal Washeries and plots of land located in Chhattisgarh.
ED conducted a search at more than 75 locations including the Mining Departments at DC Offices of Korba & Raigad and recorded statements of around 100 individuals. The investigation revealed that policy changes were made and Director Mining issued a Government Order to modify an existing efficient online system of issuance of transport permits, to introduce a manual layer where coal users were forced to apply for NOC with State Mining officers. With this government order, the accused started extortion at the rate of Rs 25 per tonne of transported Coal.
Suryakant Tiwari has been named as the henchman in the case. ED found out that there were some Whatsapp groups running this extortion and diaries with all the records of the bribes. ED notes that at least Rs 540 Crore has been extorted in the last 2 years. It was found that the accused had created Benami assets in the name of their relatives.
Earlier, in this case, ED had arrested IAS Sameer Vishnoi, Sunil Agarwal, Laxmikant Tiwari, Suryakant Tiwari and Saumya Chaurasia. Saumya Chaurasia is currently in ED’s custody.
