ED makes third arrest in West Bengal coal scam case

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The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday arrested one Gurupada Maji in connection with its money laundering case investigation linked to an alleged coal mining scam in West Bengal, stated the ED on Friday.

He was produced before the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi and has been granted seven days of ED custody.

According to ED, Gurupada Maji is one of the partners of Anup Majee, the kingpin of illegal coal mining business activities in West Bengal. He has also received more than Rs 66 crore from the Proceed of Crime (PoC) generated through illegal coal mining business from Anup Majee alias Lala and his associates, stated the ED release.

Further, he had provided Rs 26 Crore (Approx.) in cash to a Kolkata based CA for arranging shell companies for the purpose of taking accommodation entries.

In this process, Gurupada Maji had acquired 13 shell companies with the help of the said Kolkata based CA. The net worth of these 13 shell companies is more than Rs 28 crore but he acquired these companies after paying only Rs 88 Lakh on paper to respective shareholders, thereby managing to bring the huge illegally generated cash into the financial system.

This is the third arrest in this case. Earlier two accused persons namely Shri Vikas Mishra and Shri Ashok Kumar Mishra (Inspector-in-Charge of West Bengal Police) were arrested on March 16, 2021 and April 3, 2021 respectively. In this matter one Prosecution Complaint has also been filed on May 13, 2021 against Vikas Mishra and Ashok Kumar Mishra and the Court was pleased to take the cognizance of the said Prosecution Complaint on July 28, 2021.

Abhishek Banerjee, TMC MP and nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has been questioned in this case by the ED even as his wife Rujira was also summoned.

This case was initiated by ED on the basis of an FIR dated November 27, 2020 of CBI against Amit Kumar Dhar, the then GM, Kunustoria Area, ECL (Eastern Coalfield Ltd), Jayesh Chandra Rai, General Manager, ECL, Kajora Area, Tanmay Das, Chief of Security, ECL, Asansol, Dhananjay Rai, Area Security Inspector, Kunustoris, ECL, Debashish Mukherjee, Security In-charge, Kajora Area, ECL, Anup Majee alias Lala and unknown officials of ECL, CISF, Railway, other department and unknown private persons.

The ED said that the total proceeds of crime in the case stand at Rs 1,352 crore and it has attached assets of Rs 180 crore till now.

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