ranchi:
The Enforcement Directorate on Aug. 1, Abhishek Prasad, Jharkhand’s press adviser, subpoenaed Chief Minister Hemant Soren for questioning in a money laundering investigation linked to an alleged illegal mining scam in Jharkhand, officials said Tuesday.
The ED had arrested a political aide to Prime Minister Soren, Pankaj Mishra, in this case on July 19. He is currently in custody at the bureau.
Officials said Abhishek Prasad alias Pintu was summoned to the ED office here on Aug. 1 for questioning in connection with the money laundering case related to illegal mining in Sahibganj and other districts in the Santhal Paraganas division.
The ED investigation against Mr Mishra and his alleged associates was launched on July 8 after the federal investigative agency raided at least 19 sites in Sahibganj, Barhet, Rajmahal, Mirza Chauki and Barharwa in Jharkhand in the case related to alleged irregularities in the toll collection. plaza tenders and cases of illegal mining in the state.
The searches were launched after the ED filed a PMLA case in March against Mr. Mishra and others, alleging that he “illegally seized/amassed huge assets in his favor”. After the raids, the ED had frozen deposits of Rs 11,88 crore in 37 bank accounts owned by Mr Mishra and Dahoo Yadav, a person associated with him.
Apart from this, “unbooked” cash of Rs 5.34 crore was also seized by the agency, which claimed the money was related to “illegal mining” in Jharkhand.
Five stone crushers operated “illegally” and an equal number of “illegal firearms cartridges” were also seized by the ED.
“Evidence collected during the investigation, including statements from several individuals, digital evidence and documents, revealed that the seized cash/bank balance comes from illegal mining that is rampant in the Sahibganj area, including the forest area,” he said. the ED said.
The agency said it was investigating a trail of Rs 100 crore in “crime proceeds” generated by illegal mining activities in the state.
It had recently stated that cash of more than Rs 36 crore, linked to “illegal mining” in Jharkhand, had been seized by its teams in the past two months as part of two separate money laundering investigations.
The second case of cash unearthed in connection with alleged illegal mining in the state relates to the ED action against suspended Indian Administrative Service (IAS) official Pooja Singhal in May.
Aside from the 2000 IAS officer, her businessman husband, a chartered accountant associated with the couple and others were raided by the ED as part of a money laundering investigation related to a case of alleged corruption in the MGNREGA scheme.
Ms Singhal, who was in charge of the mining secretary of Jharkhand, was suspended by the state government after her arrest by the ED.
Suman Kumar, a chartered accountant associated with Singhal and her husband, was also arrested by the agency and cash of Rs 19.76 crore was seized.
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