In the wake of an illegal mining case in Jharkhand, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids, revealing a substantial amount of cash and ammunition at the premises of Sahibganj Deputy Commissioner, Ram Niwas Yadav. The federal agency, involved in the investigation, seized Rs 36.99 lakh in cash, including Rs 7.25 lakh from Yadav’s camp office.
Apart from the monetary discovery, the ED disclosed that cartridges of different calibers, totaling 21, were found at Yadav’s residence. The cartridges included 19 of 9mm bore, two of .380 mm, and five empty cases of .45 pistols. Furthermore, the ED froze thirty “benami” bank accounts following the recovery of related documents during the searches.
The raids, spanning twelve locations in Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, and Rajasthan, targeted individuals linked to the illegal stone mining case, with residences of the Chief Minister’s press advisor, Abhishek Prasad alias Pintu, Yadav, and Rajendra Dubey, a DSP of Sahibganj, under scrutiny.
The ED’s action is rooted in a case involving “illegal stone mining prevalent in Sahibganj, having proceeds of crime of more than Rs 1,000 crore.” The agency emphasized the environmental hazards arising from rampant illegal mining activities, estimating the market value of the detected illegal mining to be Rs 1,250 crore.
This money laundering case originated from state police FIRs and was later taken over by the CBI following the directive of the Jharkhand High Court. Pankaj Mishra, identified as the “kingpin” of the illegal mining, was arrested by the ED in July 2022. The agency has undertaken 51 operations and arrested eight individuals in connection with this case.
