ED slaps laundering case in Uliburu mining scam in Odisha

Close on the heels of filing a criminal case in the Goa mining scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a money laundering case in the Rs 2,000 crore Uliburu mining scam in Odisha.

The agency has filed the case under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and is set to attach properties worth crores of those involved in the scam.

"The agency has registered a criminal FIR and is set to attach assets under the PMLA. This is the second big mining scam case registered under laundering laws after similar action was taken in the Goa mining case last month," a source said.

The importance of the probe can be gauged from the fact that the ED has sent a team of 10 investigators from its regional office in Kolkata with Special Director Yogesh Gupta and his deputy D Kar personally camping in the state to take the investigation forward.

The agency has also sought police security for its team from the state government which, sources added, has been promptly accorded.

The ED slapped the charges after taking cognisance of the FIR filed in this regard by the Vigilance wing of the Odisha Police in 2012.

The case pertains to the Uliburu mines area located in the Joda mining circle in Keonjhar district of the state where large scale irregularities were detected by the state Mines department.

The Justice M B Shah Commission, which probed a number of mining scam cases, had termed this particular case as "one of the biggest illegal minings ever" even as it recommended a CBI probe into the matter.

The agency, sources said, has recently arrested two persons in this case -- prime accused Deepak Gupta and his associate S Rout.