Bengal coal smuggling case: Eastern Coalfield official dies of cardiac arrest during CBI raid

KOLKATA: Sleuths of the CBI carried out a series of raids in Kolkata and West Bengal’s coal belt in connection with a coal smuggling case. 

One of the security in-charge of the ECL (Eastern Coalfield Limited) suffered a cardiac arrest when the CBI officers raided his house. He was declared dead on arrival at a local healthcare centre.

The CBI’s anti-corruption unit started a probe into the coal smuggling case after the Income Tax department, which was investigating a case related to GST evasion by coal smugglers, came to know about Anup Majhi alias Lala, the prime suspect in the coal smuggling case. The CBI found a section of ECL officers were hand in gloves with Majhi, said a source in the central agency.

The CBI sleuths raided Majhi’s Salt Lake and Raniganj residences but the suspect was not found. Another team of the officers raided the house of Dhananjay Roy, the security in-charge of the ECL, at Jamuria in Asansol in West Burdwan district.

"Roy suffered a cardiac arrest when searches were being conducted at his house. He was taken to a local hospital where doctors declared him dead," said a CBI official.

The CBI sources said they also came to know about Majhi while interrogating Emanul Haque, a key suspect in a cattle smuggling case in which a BSF commandant was arrested recently. 

"Majhi used to utilise Haque’s network to smuggle coal to north Bengal and other adjoining states of Bengal. We are yet to ascertain whether any political leaders in involved in coal smuggling racket," said the CBI officer.