RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, June 9: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today said that it has seized cash and properties worth Rs 18.5 crore of various firms involved in illegal sand mining in Bihar.
“The cash of Rs. 1.5 crore approx. and property documents worth Rs. 11 crore have been seized; FDRs worth Rs. 6 crore and 60 bank accounts have been freezed. Other incriminating physical and digital material found during the search has also been seized for further examination. Further investigation is in progress,” the ED said in a press release.
Notably, the ED had raided 27 different locations including various premises belonging to M/s Broadson Commodities Pvt Ltd and M/s Aditya Multicom Private limited their directors, Chartered Accountants & other associates in Patna (Bihar), Dhanbad, Hazaribagh (Jharkhand) and Kolkata (West Bengal) in connection with illegal sand mining in Bihar on June 5.
According to the press release, the search operation has resulted in discovery of cash, incriminating documents viz sale deeds of properties purchased, FDRs in the name of companies and their directors.
The ED initiated investigation on the basis of various FIRs registered by the Bihar Police against the companies and their directors. FIRs had been registered on the basis of complaints from the Mining Department of Bihar against M/s Broadson Commodities Pvt Ltd and M/s Aditya Multicom Private limited and their directors for illegal sand mining and its sale without using the departmental Pre-paid transportation E-Challan, issued by the Mining Authority, Bihar causing huge revenue loss of Rs. 250 Crore (approx.) to the government exchequer.
Among the houses which the ED raided on June 5 included residence of the life member of the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) and businessman Sanjay Singh on Mission hospital road. The raid was conducted at the time when Singh family was in the news for Sanjay Singh’s elder brother Rajeev Singh being the new police chief of Manipur.
