West Bengal: CBI arrests 2 in coal smuggling case

New Delhi [India], May 11 (ANI): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested two persons in connection with the alleged coal smuggling case in West Bengal.

The arrested persons are identified as Sunil Kumar Jha, then Director (Technical) Operation Eastern Coalfield Limited, a coal producer based in India and then Inspector, CISF Seetalpur Unit, ECL, Anand Kumar Singh.

A chargesheet was earlier filed on July 19, 2022 before the Competent Court, Asansol, District-Paschim Vardhman (West Bengal) against 41 accused including then General Managers, then Chief Managers, then Security and other officials of ECL and private persons and private companies.

"A case was registered on November 27, 2020, on the allegations that a private person, the public servants of ECL including security personnel and unknown officials including of CISF, Railway, other departments and unknown others entered into conspiracy during May 2020 and onwards and in pursuance of the said conspiracy, they fraudulently misappropriated coal from the coal reserve of leasehold areas of ECL and also from the coal stock stacked in the Railway sidings for sale and supply," the CBI said in a statement.

It was further alleged that the said accused had obtained undue advantage in the form of huge and regular cash amount as a bribe from said private person and facilitated misappropriation of coal from ECL leasehold area and corresponding railway siding and thereby extended undue protection and patronage to the illegal coal syndicate being run by the said private person.

CBI had also conducted searches at various places including in the States of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh etc. at the premises of the accused.

"During further investigation, the role of the arrested accused also came who had allegedly obtained undue advantage in the form of huge cash as bribe from co-accused (private person) & facilitated misappropriation of coal from ECL leasehold area and corresponding railway siding. It was also alleged that the accused extended undue protection and patronage to the illegal coal syndicate being run by other accused," CBI added.

The arrested accused will be produced before the Competent Court at Asansol on Friday. (ANI)