Bengal coal scam: ED summons 8 IPS officials
11 August, 2022 | Pranay Lad
In connection with the West Bengal coal fraud case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), is said to have issued summons to eight members of the Indian Police Service (IPS), including Gyanwant Singh, K...
In connection with the West Bengal coal fraud case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), is said to have issued summons to eight members of the Indian Police Service (IPS), including Gyanwant Singh, Koteswara Rao, S Selvamurugan, Shyam Singh, Rajeev Mishra, Sukesh Kumar Jain, and Tathagata Basu.
The officials were invited to attend the inquiry in New Delhi by the investigating agency.
The IPS officers have been assigned particular dates to appear before the ED. The West Bengal-based IPS officers may be questioned between August 21 and August 31, and they are IPS officers.
“These IPS agents were instrumental in the coal smuggling case. There is proof that these officials reaped the rewards of the fraud. They were all stationed in regions where smuggling occurred “An ED officer was cited by the news agency.
What is the West Bengal Coal Fraud case?
The Eastern Coalfields Limited operates many mines in the western portions of West Bengal, where the CBI filed a case in November 2020 alleging that over a period of years, a scam sold unlawfully mined coal worth several thousand crores of rupees on the black market.
The inquiry into the coal smuggling case was launched by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), while a separate investigation was launched by the ED.
A key defendant in the case is Vinay Mishra, the leader of the Trinamool Congress’ youth wing. Anup Majhi, a local coal operator, is also a key suspect in the investigation.
He is said to be close friends with Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of chief minister Mamta Banerjee, who was also questioned by the ED in March.
A CBI team visited Abhishek’s home on February 21, 2021, and called his wife Rujira and his sister-in-law Menaka Gambhir for questioning on suspected involvement in the crime.
The CBI’s November 2020 FIR, which alleged a multi-crore coal pilferage scheme involving Eastern Coalfields Limited mines in the state’s Kunustoria and Kajora regions in and around Asansol, led the ED to file a case under the PMLA’s provisions.
The ED had asserted that the legislator had benefited financially from this illicit activity. So far, it has detained two individuals in this case.
Also Read: Will Nitish Kumar challenge Modi for the next Prime Minister in 2024?