CBI arrests seven accused including ex-GMs of Eastern Coalfields Ltd in coal misappropriation case

The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested seven accused, including two then GMs, of Eastern Coalfields Ltd. (ECL) in an on-going investigation of a case related to misappropriation of coal from the coal reserve of leasehold areas under the dominion of ECL and also from the coal stock parked in the Railway sidings for sale and supply.

CBI has also arrested the then Chief Manager (Security), then Project Officer, then Manager (Security), then two Security Sub Inspectors of ECL connection with the case.

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

It was further alleged that the said accused had obtained undue advantage in the form of huge and regular cash amount as 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.

Earlier, 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 accused. All the arrested accused were produced on Thursday before the Special Court at Asansol (West Bengal) and were remanded to five days Police Custody.

Tanmay Das, the then Chief Manager/HOD(Security), ECL HQ (Now retired as GM Security, MCL Singrauli); Debashis Mukherjee, the then Security Sub-Inspector, ECL Kajora/Jhanjra area (Now working as Security Inspector ECL Jhanjra); Sushanta Banerjee, the then GM Satgram Area ECL (Now retired as GM, ECL Satgram); Subhas Chandra Moitra, the then Project Officer, Nimcha Group of Mines, Satgram Area ECL (Now working as GM, ECL Satgram Area); Mukesh Kumar, the then Manager(Security) ECL HQ, Sanctoria (Now working as Manager Security, Central Hospital Kalla); Rinku Behera, the then Security Sub-Inspector, Satgram Area ECL (Now working as Security Inspector MCL Sambalpur) and Abhijit Mallik, the then GM, Satgram Area ECL, are among those who were arrested by the CBI.