New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recovered Rs 4 crore cash on Tuesday during raids at the premises of senior government officials and businessmen in Chhattisgarh. Unaccounted jewelry and gold were also seized during this raid. Incriminating documents were also recovered from premises of some senior IAS officers, ED sources said. The Central agency sleuths conducted raids in Durg, Raigad, Mahasamund and the capital Raipur in the early hours of Tuesday.
They further revealed that the ED conducted raids at the residence of Chief Minister Baghel's OSD Soumya Chaurasia in Durg, Raigad's collector Ranu Sahu's residence, chartered accountant Ajay Malu's residence in Raipur, Mining Head IAS JP Maurya's residence, IAS Samir Bishnoi's residence, Seed Corporation in Mahasamund. The raids were conducted in relation to the coal smuggling case.
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Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel slammed the BJP accusing the party of misusing central agencies in the state and termed these raids as an 'act of intimidation'. CM said, " BJP is not able to fight directly, hence it is trying to fight through ED, IT, Department of Revenue Intelligence. This not the last raid, as the elections are approaching, more such raids will take place. The IT department had conducted raids at the residence of businessmen associated with steel business."
On the other hand, Former Chief Minister Dr. Raman Singh has made serious allegations against the Congress government regarding the action of ED. Dr. Singh said that "Perhaps for the first time in the history of India, the ED raided the house of the sitting collector in a district and action was taken to seal the government residence." Singh also said , "now the black money of Bhupesh's government will get exposed. The truth will come out now."
