Chhattisgarh: ED carries out raids in five districts; Collector, IAS, Coal traders' premises raided

Raipur: Enforcement Directorate (ED) teams have carried out raids at several locations in more than five districts in Chhattisgarh state, including offices and residential premises of IAS officers, coal traders, leaders, CA and other businessmen on Tuesday.

The people on whose premises and offices ED teams carried out raids were identified as Raigarh Collector IAS Ranu Sahu, IAS JP Morya, Coal trader Suryakant Tiwari, Congress leader Agni Chandrakar, CA Vijay Malu, Badal Makkad, Ajay Naidu, Sunny Luniya, IPS Sameer Vishnoi, RKTC Group, Rajkumar Agarwal, and Ramu Jaiswal.

Several people among the list whose premises were raided were alleged to enjoy close links with top Congress party leaders. However, Coal trader Suryakant Tiwari, who was also allegedly identified as fund manager of Congress party, was in the hit list, the sources said.

The raids were carried out in Durg, Bhilai, Raipur, Raigarh, Korba. As per available inputs, ED team started carrying out raids around five o’clock in the morning on Tuesday.

Around two months ago also, Central prosecuting agencies carried out similar raids, sources said. This time, the ED carried out its raids with the help of the Central Para Military Forces.  

However, just after information of raids leaked out on social media, Chief Minister Baghel issued a statement to the media at Raipur airport on Tuesday and said, "As you know, BJP failed and felt incapable of countering us directly, so it is misusing central agencies."

Afterwards, CM Baghel made a statement in the media; former Chief Minister Raman Singh also addressed a press conference in Raipur on the issue and said that the frequency of such raids will increase in future.

He alleged that district collectors have become collecting agents in the rule of this government. Only 11 months are left to go for the government. He warned the top bureaucrats that if they work as Congress agents, there will be repercussions.