Court denies bail to accused in Bengal coal mining money laundering case

A Delhi court has denied bail to an accused in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal mining scam in West Bengal.

New Delhi:A Delhi court has denied bail to an accused in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal mining scam in West Bengal. Special Judge Anurag Sain denied bail to Gurupada Maji, who was taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate in May, on the allegations that the accused was a partner of a prime accused or "kingpin" in the case -- Anup Majee.

The judge said that considering the parameters defined in PMLA, I find no reasonable ground for believing that accused Gurupada Maji is not guilty of the alleged offences. From a prima facie view of the material placed on record and in light of the gravity of the alleged offences, it cannot be said either that the accused is not likely to commit any such offence while on bail, the judge said in the order passed on Tuesday.

The judge also refused to release the accused on bail on the medical ground, saying a similar plea was rejected last month and there has been no fresh change in the circumstances regarding his health condition. Special Public Prosecutor Nitesh Rana, appearing for the ED, told the court while opposing the bail application that the accused delivered either to himself or to his nephew Tapas Maji the proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 89.4 crore.

Further, the accused has acquired many Kolkata-based shell companies to project POCs (proceeds of crime) generated from illegal coal mining activities as an untainted fund, Rana said. Further, on the scrutiny of digital evidence and records seized by Income Tax Department from the office of accused, it was revealed that he was involved in illegal coal mining and was one of the partners of co-accused Anup Majee in the illegal coal mining business and co-accused Anup Majee has admitted the same in his statement, Rana told the court.

Vikas Mishra, brother of TMC youth wing leader Vinay Mishra, and former inspector in-charge of the Bankura police station Ashok Kumar Mishra were earlier arrested. They are currently out on medical bail. Abhishek Banerjee, TMC MP and nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been questioned in this case by the ED even as his wife Rujira was summoned.

Maji "received more than Rs 66 crore from the proceeds of crime generated through illegal coal mining business from Anup Majee alias Lala and his associates", the ED said. "He had provided about Rs 26 crore in cash to a Kolkata-based CA for arranging shell companies for the purpose of taking accommodation entries," the agency said.

In this process, Maji "acquired" 13 shell or paper companies with the help of the said chartered accountant. "The net worth of these 13 shell companies is more than Rs 28 crore but he acquired these companies after paying only Rs 88 lakh on paper to respective shareholders, thereby managing to bring the huge illegally generated cash into the financial system," it said.

This ED case of money laundering stems from a November 2020 FIR registered by the CBI that alleged a multi-crore-rupee coal pilferage scam related to Eastern Coalfields Limited mines in West Bengal's Kunustoria and Kajora areas in and around Asansol. A charge sheet was filed by the ED in the case in May last year. The agency has said that the total proceeds of crime in the case stand at Rs 1,352 crore and it has attached assets of Rs 180 crore till now. (PTI)