The CBI on Monday arrested four persons in the ongoing investigation of a case related to multi-crore coal pilferage scam in Eastern Coalfields Ltd. areas during the last seven-eight years in which West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee is also embroiled.
The four arrested accused are Jaydeb Mondal, Narayan Kharka alias Narayan Nanda, Gurupada Maji and Nirad Baran Mondal.
“The Central Bureau of Investigation has today arrested four persons in on-going investigation of a case related to alleged theft of coal in Eastern Coalfields Ltd. areas during the last 7/8 years,” the agency said in a statement here.
It was alleged that the arrested persons were close associates of other accused and assisted him in engaging miners, arranging transporters and sold the illegally excavated coal. The arrested accused will be produced before the Court of CBI Special Judge, Asansol, District Paschim Bardhaman (West Bengal), it said.
The four arrested were close aides of prime accused Anup Majhi, alias Lala, who is the alleged mastermind behind the alleged pilferage of dry fuel from Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) mines in Asansol in Paschim Bardhaman district, officials said.
The Anti-Corruption Branch of the CBI in Kolkata summoned the four to appear before its officials at the agency's office there. They were arrested following a brief interrogation.
Earlier, the agency had arrested Vikash Mishra, brother of Trinamool Congress youth leader Binay Mishra, in connection with the case.
The CBI had registered an FIR in November last year against Lala, the alleged kingpin of the pilferage racket, ECL general managers Amit Kumar Dhar and Jayesh Chandra Rai, ECL security chief Tanmay Das, Kunustoria area security inspector Dhananjay Rai and Kajor area security in-charge Debashish Mukherjee.
Earlier, the agency had raided Lala's official premises, residences and other properties in Asansol, Ranigunj and Kolkata. It had also issued a look-out circular against him.
The scam, arising out of illegal mining from abandoned mines of ECL, runs into thousands of crores of rupees and part of the crime proceeds had been transacted through the hawala route for which the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also joined the case to investigate the money laundering aspect.
