The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized about Rs 4 crore cash and jewellery during searches at several locations linked to government officers and businessmen in Chhattisgarh in connection with a money laundering case. On Tuesday, the ED teams searched several locations related to Deputy Secretary to the CM, Soumya Chaurasia in Durg, Chartered Accountant Vijay Malu in Devendra Nagar, Raipur, Raigarh Collector and IAS officer Ranu Sahu's residence in Raigarh, former MLA and Chairman of state's Seeds Development Corporation Agni Chandrakar in Mahasamund, businessman Suryakant Tiwari in Anupam Nagar, Raipur and mining chief and IAS officer JP Maurya in Raipur. Maurya is the husband of Ranu Sahu.
In the Mahasamund district, searches were conducted at locations linked to politicians and businessmen. Those under the ED scanner are Laxmikant Tiwari, Ajay Naidu, a close aide of Suryakant Tiwari, District Congress president Badal Makkad and real estate businessman Sunny Lunia, officials had said. Over a dozen ED officers landed at Raigarh collector Ranu Shahu's residence in the morning for carrying out the search operation. Separate teams of the ED started conducting raids in the morning in state capital Raipur, Raigarh, Mahasamund, Korba and other districts, they said.
The seizures have been made from both the government officers and private entities searched by the agency, sources said.
The ED action relates to a money laundering investigation into alleged illegal levy commissions sourced by certain entities from transporters in Chhattisgarh in collusion with the officials, including Chattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s Deputy Secretary Soumya Chaurasia, they said.
The ED has taken cognisance of an Income Tax Department complaint and chargesheet to file a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel who apparently did not act on an Income Tax Department communication has termed the raids as an "act of intimidation".
Earlier, the I-T department had conducted raids at the premises of businessmen associated with steel and coal businesses.
Similar raids conducted by the I-T department in June-July this year covered the premises of coal businessman Suryakant Tiwari and Soumya Chaurasia.