Raipur: In the high-profile coal scam case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seized assets valued at Rs 50 crore, encompassing properties of Suryakant Tiwari and others. This includes over 100 movable and immovable assets—bank balances, vehicles, cash, jewelry, and land—totaling Rs 49.73 crore.
These assets belong to Tiwari, alleged mastermind of the scam, and other accused individuals. The ED's investigation uncovered that huge money extorted from coal transporters in collusion with leaders and senior officials from the previous government.
Allegations state that illegal commissions collected from coal transporters were funneled into election management.
According to an earlier ED press note, Rs 25 was charged per tonne of coal transported between July 2020 and June 2022. The ED claims that funds, taken as Coal Levy, were used for bribing government officials and politicians, with a portion also allocated for election expenses. Remaining amounts were utilized to purchase movable and immovable properties.
The ED has attached properties belonging to suspended IAS officers Ranu Sahu and Sameer Bishnoi, former Chief Minister’s Deputy Secretary Sumya Chourasia, OSD to CM JP Maurya, Congress leader Ram Gopal Agarwal, Ram Pratap Singh, Vinod Tiwari, former MLA Chandra Dev Rai, and MLA Bhilai Devendra Yadav. Around property worth more than Rs 300 crores have been attached till this date.
