Raipur, Jan 12 (NationPress) The Raipur Zonal Office of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has executed a Provisional Attachment Order (PAO) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, leading to the attachment of eight immovable properties valued at approximately Rs 2.66 crore, as stated by the agency on Monday.

As per the ED, these properties, which include land parcels and residential flats, were allegedly acquired by the accused, Saumya Chaurasia and Nikhil Chandrakar, in the names of their relatives, using proceeds of crime obtained from illegal coal levy collections and extortion activities in Chhattisgarh.

This action by the ED is part of various ongoing investigations related to the notorious coal levy scam. The probe was initiated following an FIR filed by the Bengaluru Police, with a prosecution complaint lodged on June 19, 2023, by the Income Tax Department, and another FIR dated January 11, 2024, submitted by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW)/Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Raipur, the agency noted.

Investigations have revealed that a syndicate consisting of private individuals, in conjunction with senior state politicians and bureaucrats, ran an extortion racket from July 2020 to June 2022.

This group allegedly collected Rs 25 per tonne of coal transported, accumulating approximately Rs 540 crore in illegal levies during this timeframe. The extorted amounts, categorized as Proceeds of Crime (POC), were utilized for bribing officials and politicians, financing electoral campaigns, and purchasing both movable and immovable properties.

The coal transportation sector in Chhattisgarh plays a central role in this scam. Thus far, the ED has identified and attached properties worth Rs 273 crore belonging to various individuals implicated in this case.

The agency has also detained 11 individuals and filed five prosecution complaints against 35 accused parties before the Special Court (PMLA).

This recent property attachment targets “benami” acquisitions associated with prominent figures like Saumya Chaurasia (former deputy secretary in the Chhattisgarh CMO) and Nikhil Chandrakar, emphasizing the use of family members to disguise illegal gains.

The investigation remains ongoing, with the ED actively tracing the money trail and uncovering additional assets. The coal levy scam continues to be a significant political and investigative focal point in Chhattisgarh, involving multiple agencies and resulting in substantial arrests and asset seizures over the years.