6 months ago
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The Enforcement Directorate connected Monday (January 12, 2026) said a portion of the ₹540 crore "extortion" wealth generated from an alleged amerciable ember levy scam successful Chhattisgarh during the erstwhile Congress authorities was utilized to money election-related expenses and "bribe" politicians and bureaucrats.
The national probe bureau said successful a connection that it has attached assets worthy a combined ₹2.66 crore of Soumya Chaurasia, a suspended State administrative work serviceman who was lawman caput successful the Chhattisgarh CMO, and different idiosyncratic arsenic portion of a wealth laundering probe into these allegations.
A full of 8 immovable properties, onshore parcels and residential flats, person been provisionally attached nether the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
These properties were "acquired" by the accused successful the lawsuit — Ms. Chaurasia and Nikhil Chandrakar — successful the names of their relatives from the proceeds of transgression generated from the "illegal" postulation of ember levy and different extortion activities, the national probe bureau said successful a statement.
“The combined worth of the attached assets is ₹2.66 crore,” it said. The lawsuit pertains to charges that a radical of backstage individuals, successful progressive connivance with elder politicians and bureaucrats of Chhattisgarh, formed a "racket" to "extort" wealth from ember transporters astatine the complaint of ₹25 per tonne during July 2020-June 2022.
The bureau alleges that ₹540 crore was "illegally" collected by the syndicate. The Congress had rejected the charges and claimed governmental conspiracy successful these charges made against its government.
"The extorted currency was utilized to bribe authorities officials and politicians, money election-related expenses, and get movable and immovable assets," it alleged.
Ms. Chaurasia, known to beryllium a almighty bureaucrat successful the authorities of erstwhile Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, and 10 others were arrested by the ED successful this case. She aboriginal obtained bail from the Supreme Court. The bureau has filed 5 complaint sheets successful this lawsuit till now, naming 35 individuals and companies.
The wealth laundering lawsuit stems from a 2022 FIR of the Bengaluru Police, a chargesheet filed by the Income-Tax Department successful 2023 and a ailment filed by the Chhattisgarh Economic Offences Wing/Anti-Corruption Bureau (EOW/ACB) successful 2024.
