Illegal coal mining: ED raids 12 locations in Bengal

The Enforcement Directorate (ED)on Monday raided 12 premises across West Bengal, as part of anongoing investigation into illegal coal mining, an official ofthe agency said.

The searches were conducted at the residences andoffices of people who are ''considered close to Anup Majhialias Lala'' -- the main accused in the coal scam, he said.

The ED official said the agency is probing the moneylaundering aspect of illegal coal mining and the sleuths arein the process of getting hold of some documents from thepremises which were searched during the day.

A lookout notice has been issued against Majhi byanother central agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation,which is also investigating into the case.

He has been absconding since the CBI had initiatedsearches in connection with the case in November last year.

Majhi is believed to be involved in the illegal coalmining in the Asansol-Raniganj belt of Eastern Coalfields Lts.

The CBI had, on November 28 last year, conducted raidsat 45 places, including 25 in West Bengal, in connection withits probe into illegal coal mining.

The central agency had on December 22 also raided fivepremises in Kolkata.

The lookout notice has been issued to Majhi toascertain his whereabouts, as his interrogation was vital forthe probe, the CBI official had said earlier.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)