The Central Bureau of Investigation on Saturday raided 45 places across four states in a case related to illegal mining and theft of coal from public sector firm Eastern Coalfield Limited, PTI reported.
The investigating agency began raids at locations in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh a day after filing a first information report in the case. The FIR named Anup Manjhi and several officers from the firm.
Manjhi is believed to be involved in illegal mining in ECL’s coalfields in West Bengal’s Kajora and Kunustoria towns. He allegedly runs an operation in open-pit coal mines situated along the border of West Bengal and Jharkhand, according to NDTV.
The CBI also raided Manjhi’s home and office in West Bengal’s Asansol city, the news channel reported.
The other suspects in the case are ECL General Managers Amit Kumar Dhar and Jayesh Chandra Rai, Security In-Charge (Kajora Area) Debashish, Kunustoria Area Security Inspector Dhananjay Rai and Chief of Security (Asansol) Tanmay Das, according to The Hindu. Unidentified officials from the Central Industrial Security Force and the Railways are also under CBI’s scrutiny for being part of the illegal operation.
The Vigilance Department and ECL’s Task Force, beginning May, had found evidence of illegal mining at several places, according to the newspaper. The teams had also seized a vehicles and equipment used in illegal mining and transportation.
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