Former Jharkhand Mines Dept Director, accused of corruption, surrenders in CBI court

Ranchi, Dec 19 Indra Dev Paswan, a former director of Jharkhand's Mines Department and facing charges of corruption in the illegal allocation of iron ore mines to Usha Martin Litd, surrendered before a CBI court in Ranchi on Thursday.

Soon after the surrender, Paswan filed a bail petition, which the court approved on the condition of submitting two personal bonds of Rs 50,000 each and surrendering his passport.

The case pertains to the allocation of iron ore mines in Ghatkuri in West Singhbhum district, in 2005. Allegations of irregularities and corruption in the allocation process led the CBI to launch an investigation.

In September 2016, the Delhi unit of the CBI registered an FIR, accusing several people, including then Mines Secretary Arun Kumar Singh, Paswan, and Usha Martin’s promoters, under charges of criminal conspiracy, fraud, and violations of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The FIR accused the promoters of Usha Martin and officials of the mining department. It was said in the FIR that in the recommendation sent to the Central government for the allocation of the mine, the officials on behalf of the state government had allegedly shown favouritism in favour of Usha Martin.

The company had assured the state government that the extracted iron ore would be used in its steel plant at Hat Gamharia, providing an undertaking to that effect.

However, the CBI later alleged that the company reneged on its promise, citing the absence of explicit mention in the cabinet note.

The CBI concluded its investigation and filed a charge sheet in January 2023, which the court recently acknowledged.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had earlier provisionally attached certain immovable properties of the company, valued at approximately Rs 190 crore pertaining to the wire rope business situated in Ranchi.