Coal scam: ED attaches assets of more companies

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Initiating its first action under money laundering laws in the coal-blocks allocation scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday attached assets worth Rs24.50 crore of two different companies — one owned by Congress MP Vijay Darda and the other by a Nagpur-based business associate of his.

The agency issued orders for attaching shares of M/s Asera Banka Power and JAS Infrastructure and Power under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), after it had registered a separate case in this regard taking cognisance of a CBI FIR last year, said an official release.

While the first company is owned by Darda and his son Devendra, the second firm is a group company of his Nagpur- based associate Manoj Jayaswal.

The case pertains to the allocation of coal blocks in the Bander area of Maharashtra.

"The attachment is done under PMLA after the charge sheet filed by CBI in case of M/s AMR Iron and Steel Pvt Ltd, Manoj Jayaswal Director of M/s AMR Iron and Steel Pvt Ltd in criminal conspiracy with Vijay Darda, MP (Rajya Sabha) and Devendra Darda, MD of Lokmat Media Pvt Ltd have cheated Ministry of Coal by dishonestly obtaining allocation of Bander coal block," the release said citing the CBI charge sheet filed earlier this year.