Chhattisgarh Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has arrested the son of former State Congress Treasurer Ramgopal Agrawal in the case of alleged coal levy scam, which takes its roots to the previous Congress govt in Chhattisgarh. He is being prosecuted for the ongoing investigation and has been brought before a special court within the due course of the law.
The two individuals named in the FIR, Ramgopal Agrawal, who continues to be a fugitive, and two orphans, have also not been found. The questioning of Vaibhav Agrawal is likely to provide the investigators with more evidence about the alleged illegal levy collection racket.
Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, while making the statement, said that investigative agencies like the EOW are conducting the investigation in an independent manner and the ones with relative information should cooperate with the investigation.
The investigation found that from July 2020 to June 2022, an illegal levy of Rs 25 per tonne was collected from the coal transporters by converting the permit system from online to offline. The investigators state that among those involved at senior political, governmental and bureaucratic levels are members of an organised syndicate.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has identified two names, that of Coal businessman Suryakant Tiwari and the Deputy secretary Soumya Chaurasia, as two individuals take the centre stage in the alleged network. According to estimates of the probe agencies, almost Rs 540 crore was collected illegally in the period.
The ED has so far attached properties worth Rs 273 crore, 11 accused arrested and five charge sheets filed in the special court against 35 others in the ongoing investigation.