C'garh bureaucrat's ED custody extended by 4 days in alleged coal levy scam

A special court in Raipur extended the ED custody of Saumya Chaurasia, a dy secretary posted in office of CM Bhupesh Baghel, for 4 days in a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal levy scam

A special court in Chhattisgarh's Raipur on Saturday extended the Enforcement Directorate custody of Saumya Chaurasia, a deputy secretary posted in the office of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, for four days in a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal levy scam in the state.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Ajay Singh Rajput extended the ED remand of Chaurasia after she was produced before the court on expiry of her current custody, said her lawyer Faizal Rizvi.

Chaurasia will be produced in the court again on December 14, he added.

Chaurasia was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on December 2.

As per the ED, a cartel of senior bureaucrats, businessmen, politicians and middlemen were involved in illegal levy of Rs 25 per tonne of coal being transported in the state.

The ED carried out raids across the state on October 11 and had arrested IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi, coal trader Suryakant Tiwari, his uncle Laxmikant Tiwari and businessman Sunil Agrawal.

The money laundering investigation was launched after the ED took cognisance of an Income Tax department complaint.