The CBI has booked three residents of Uttar Pradesh for their alleged involvement in the illegal sale of stolen coal in different parts of the country.
The accused have been identified as Niyaj Ahmed, Murari Seth and Krishna Nand. While Niyaz and Murari are from Chandauli, the third one is from Ghazipur.
In the FIR, instituted on a complaint from a private person named Minhaj Ahmad, the agency has mentioned Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh as the States where the three allegedly dealt in stolen coal.
Apart from invoking the IPC Sections pertaining to criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and theft, the CBI has also added certain provisions under the Prevention of Corruption Act, indicating that the agency suspects the role of public servants in the coal theft and smuggling racket.
Incidentally, in November, the CBI had registered an FIR against alleged coal mafioso Anup Majhi and others for illegal mining and theft of coal from the Kunustoria and Majora collieries of the Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) in West Bengal. Among those found involved in the case were several officials of the ECL, the Central Industrial Security Force and the Railway.
The agency had also conducted searches in the premises of the suspects at 45 locations in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Subsequently, the Enforcement Directorate also initiated money-laundering investigation based on the CBI probe. The ED has so far attached immovable assets worth ₹165.86 crore of Majhi, which include land parcels, factory premises, plant and machinery of two firms, Ispat Damodar Private Limited and Sonic Thermal Private Limited.
Besides, the ED earlier arrested one Vikas Mishra, brother of a TMC’s youth wing leader, Vinay Mishra, in the same case.