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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) connected Friday (February 13, 2026) said it has attached caller assets worthy ₹100 crore arsenic portion of its wealth laundering probe into alleged amerciable mining and ember theft successful West Bengal, which it claimed garnered "active" assistance from the section administration.
The astir caller searches successful this lawsuit were conducted successful January astatine aggregate locations, including premises successful Kolkata linked with governmental consultancy steadfast I-PAC and 1 of its directors Pratik Jain.
The January 8 enactment led to overmuch contention with the ED alleging successful a property connection that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee entered Mr. Jain's residence during the raids and "took distant cardinal evidence" and repeated the aforesaid astatine the I-PAC office.
Ms. Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) had claimed that ED, successful the garb of these searches, was attempting to instrumentality distant documents related to the party's predetermination strategy from I-PAC premises up of the Assembly polls successful the State.
In a connection connected Friday (February 13, 2026), the ED said a provisional bid has been issued nether the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to connect immovable properties, fixed deposits, and communal funds of "beneficiary" companies linked to this lawsuit — Shakambhari Ispat and Power Ltd and Gagan Ferrotech Ltd.
The Shakambhari Group, headed by president and managing manager Deepak Kumar Agarwal, is among the largest integrated alloy manufacturers successful West Bengal.
The radical operates aggregate sponge iron, alloy and powerfulness units and markets products nether brands specified arsenic 'Thermocon' and 'Elegant'. None of the companies of the Shakambhari Group are listed connected immoderate banal exchange.
The full worth of the attached properties is ₹100.44 crore, the ED said.
With this latest order, the full worth of assets attached truthful acold stands astatine ₹322.71 crore, and the proceeds of transgression established successful this lawsuit stands astatine ₹2,742 crore, it said.
The ED is probing into an alleged syndicate engaged successful amerciable excavation and large-scale pilferage of ember successful leasehold areas of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL).
The "illegally" excavated ember was distributed to assorted factories successful West Bengal with the progressive assistance of the section administration.
Anup Majee alias Lala, who was arrested by the bureau fewer years back, is stated to beryllium the kingpin of the syndicate.
"Majee introduced an amerciable transport challan oregon pad, commonly known arsenic the "Lala pad." This amerciable transport challan functioned arsenic a taxation invoice issued successful the sanction of non-existent firms," the ED claimed.
The bureau charged that the syndicate operated an "underground" hawala web to transportation the proceeds of transgression successful cash, bypassing ceremonial banking channels and regulatory oversight.
"In a emblematic transaction, the recipient would stock a unsocial codification with the sender, usually the serial fig of a ₹10 oregon different denomination currency note. This serial fig functioned arsenic the transaction's authentication key," it said.
Probe has recovered definite beneficiary companies successful the alloy and robust assemblage purchased illegally excavated ember successful cash, the ED said, adding that the offence involves "multiple" layers and "complex" fiscal transactions designed to conceal and disguise "illicit" funds.
The bureau is systematically "unravelling" each furniture to hint the eventual beneficiaries, place further proceeds of crime, and observe different persons progressive successful laundering illegally generated funds, the ED said.
"The ED reiterates its committedness to taking stringent enactment against economical offenders progressive successful amerciable mining and wealth laundering activities. Such offences harm the nationalist astatine large, arsenic earthy resources are nationalist assets held successful spot for the radical of the country," the bureau said successful the statement.
