ED raids 14 places across Jharkhand, seizes Rs 3.5 crore

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday raided 14 locations in Ranchi, Hazaribag and Ramgarh districts in connection with allotment of subsidized coal to bogus companies through the Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation (JSMDC).

3.58 crore from the residence of coal magnate and industrialist Izhar Ansari in Millat Colony under Lohsinghna police station in Hazaribag town during the raids.

Raids were also conducted in this regard at the premises of former JSMDC Project Director Asok Singh. It may be mentioned here that suspended IAS officer Pooja Singhal was the CEO of JSMDC when the irregularities took place.

Sources alleged that JSDMC, which was allowed to allocate coal at concessional rates to small and medium enterprises, allowed the coal to be rigged to the company in lieu of bribe. Notably, the ED, which is conducting investigations in connection with the MNREGA scam, illegal mining and money laundering against Singhal and others, came across irregularities while probing the mobile phone details of Suman Kumar, the chartered accountant husband of suspended IAS officer Abhishek. Yoke.

“JSMDC Coal Linkage Case Raid”

An ED official said that the raid was related to the coal link case of JSMDC units located at Demotand in Hazaribagh, Koderma, Ramgarh and Barhi. The ED team raided Izhar's house at 9 am on Friday.

The JSMDC units were run under the auspices of the Jharkhand government for running coal plants. However, Izhar Ansari and project director Ashok Singh were allegedly selling the coal obtained from the coal link on the orders of the state government elsewhere.