Crime
ED attaches properties worth Rs 2.66 crore in Chhattisgarh coal levy scam
Raipur, Jan 12: The Raipur Zonal Office of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has issued a Provisional Attachment Order (PAO) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, attaching eight immovable properties valued at approximately Rs 2.66 crore, an agency statement said on Monday.
According to ED, these assets, consisting of land parcels and residential flats, were allegedly acquired by accused individuals Saumya Chaurasia and Nikhil Chandrakar in the names of their relatives, using proceeds of crime derived from illegal coal levy collection and extortion activities in Chhattisgarh.
The ED’s action stems from multiple ongoing investigations linked to the high-profile coal levy scam. The probe was initiated based on an FIR registered by Bengaluru Police, with a prosecution complaint filed on June 19, 2023, by the Income Tax Department, and another FIR dated January 11, 2024, lodged by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW)/Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Raipur, it said.
Investigations have uncovered that a syndicate comprising private individuals, in collusion with senior state politicians and bureaucrats, operated an extortion racket between July 2020 and June 2022.
The group allegedly collected Rs 25 per tonne of coal transported, amassing around Rs 540 crore in illegal levies during this period. The extorted funds, classified as Proceeds of Crime (POC), were utilized to bribe officials and politicians, finance election-related expenses, and purchase movable and immovable properties.
The coal transportation sector in Chhattisgarh is central to the scam. To date, the ED has identified and attached properties worth Rs 273 crore belonging to various accused in this case.
The agency has also arrested 11 individuals so far and filed five Prosecution Complaints against 35 accused before the Special Court (PMLA).
This latest attachment targets “benami” acquisitions linked to key figures Saumya Chaurasia (former deputy secretary in the Chhattisgarh CMO) and Nikhil Chandrakar, highlighting the use of family members to conceal illicit gains.
The investigation remains active, with the ED continuing to trace the money trail and uncover further assets. The coal levy scam has been a major political and investigative focus in Chhattisgarh, involving multiple agencies and leading to significant arrests and asset seizures over the years.
Crime
Accused in Rs 2 crore Pune embezzlement case arrested in Nashik

Nashik (Maharashtra), June 16: An absconding accused in a Rs 2 crore embezzlement case registered in Pune was arrested in Maharashtra’s Nashik on Tuesday, police said.
According to a complaint filed by Kiran Dadasaheb Shinde, 38, with Pune police, the responsibility for flat sales and related activities across four buildings (A, B, C, and D) of the ‘Ganga Fernhill’ project had been entrusted to Senior Sales Manager Simon Ronnie Peter, 42, but he allegedly, instead of depositing the proceeds from flat sales into the company’s account, transferred the funds to a fraudulent private bank account belonging to his associate, B. Chandrashekhar, thereby embezzling approximately Rs 2 crore collected from 32 customers.
Based on the complaint, a case was registered at Pune’s Kalepadal Police Station on June 9 (Crime No. 257/2026), under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
However, following the registration of the case, Peter went absconding and even switched off his mobile phone to evade arrest.
During the course of the investigation, Pune police received information that the accused was hiding in Nashik city and officials from Kalepadal Police Station contacted Senior Police Inspector Ashok Sharmale of the Gangapur Police Station and sought assistance in tracing and apprehending Peter.
Acting on credible intelligence, Sharmale learned that the accused Peter had arrived in Nashik in a car and was staying in Room No. 301 of Hotel Treebo Sapphire in Kalenagar on Gangapur Road.
Upon receiving the information, Crime Investigation Team officer Ghanshyam Bhoye and his team were immediately dispatched to the location. Acting swiftly, the police team detained the accused and subsequently handed him over to the Pune police for further legal proceedings.
The operation was successfully carried out under the leadership of Senior Police Inspector Sharmale of the Gangapur Police Station, and his team, including Assistant Sub-Inspector Tushar Deore and Police Head Constables Ravindra Mohite, Girish Mahale, Bhagwat Thavil, Ghanshyam Bhoye, Pravin Kedare, Gorakh Salunke, Sujit Jadhav, and Tulshidas Chaudhary.
Crime
Telangana ACB raids govt official’s premises, seizes Rs one crore in cash

Hyderabad, June 16: Telangana’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday conducted searches at premises linked to an official in the Lands and Surveys Department in an alleged case of disproportionate assets (DA).
ACB officials conducted simultaneous searches at 12 locations in and around Hyderabad against Sunkari Narahari, Deputy Director of Lands and Surveys (Multi Zone-2), over allegations of amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Led by ACB DSP Gangasani Sridhar, raids were carried out at Narahari’s residence in Chatrinaka in the old city, his office in Narayanaguda, and properties linked to his relatives and close associates.
Sources say officials seized around Rs one crore in cash, along with documents related to multiple properties and significant bank deposits.
ACB officials were using currency counting machines to count wads of notes and weighing machines for gold jewellery and silver items. The anti-graft agency is continuing investigations into his assets, bank accounts and investments.
The ACB is likely to issue a detailed statement on the searches and its findings in the evening.
The raids were conducted following allegations that the official was involved in corrupt practices.
This comes a week after the ACB arrested Roads and Buildings (R&B) Engineer-in-Chief Mohan Naik in a disproportionate assets case.
The ACB officials on June 9 conducted searches at the residence and other premises linked to Mohan Naik and his relatives.
The officials recovered Rs 60 lakh cash, gold jewellery weighing a kilogram, and 13 gold biscuits. They also found documents of properties in Hyderabad and Nizamabad.
According to the ACB, assets identified during raids have an official value of about Rs 17.95 crore. However, their market value is estimated at nearly Rs 200 crore.
The agency produced Mohan Naik before a court, which sent him to judicial custody for 14 days.
There have been allegations that the Engineer-in-Chief favoured certain companies in awarding contracts and building a large network of influence across Telangana.=
Crime
Delhi: Three arrested in cyber fraud case under ‘Operation Pre CyHawk’

New Delhi, June 16: In a significant breakthrough under ‘Operation Pre CyHawk’, the Delhi Police’s Okhla Industrial Area Police Station successfully solved a cyber fraud case involving the unauthorised transfer of Rs 99,000 and arrested three persons from Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district.
According to Delhi Police, the case surfaced after complainant Anoop Haldhar, a resident of Okhla Phase-I, reported receiving a suspicious link on his mobile phone. After clicking on the link, his device was allegedly compromised, leading to the unauthorised withdrawal of Rs 99,000 from his Kotak Mahindra Bank account through UPI and Google Pay transactions. Acting promptly, the victim reported the incident to the National Cyber Crime Helpline 1930.
During the investigation, police officials traced the digital money trail and identified the beneficiary account located in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. Based on the findings, FIR No. 330/2026 dated June 12, 2026, was registered at the Okhla Industrial Area Police Station under Sections 318(4) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The investigation was assigned to Sub-Inspector Sanjay Meena.
A police team comprising Sub-Inspector Sanjay Meena, Head Constable (HC) Dharampal, and Constable Jai Ram immediately proceeded to Rajasthan and apprehended the beneficiary account holder, identified as Rajat. During sustained interrogation, Rajat disclosed the involvement of two associates, Mitesh and Manoj Kumar, who allegedly arranged and operated the account as a mule account to route the fraudulently obtained funds.
Police said the accused attempted to evade detection by communicating only through voice and WhatsApp calls and frequently switching off their mobile phones. However, sustained technical surveillance, digital analysis, and cyber investigation, with support from ASI Rakhi and HC Abhay, enabled investigators to track and arrest the remaining two accused from a rented accommodation in Nawalgarh, Rajasthan.
The operation culminated in the arrest of all three accused. Police also recovered Rs 21,000 in cash, WhatsApp chats linking the conspirators, the beneficiary’s bank passbook, and an Aadhaar card, all of which are expected to serve as crucial evidence in the ongoing investigation.
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