CBI searches 15 locations in illegal coal smuggling case

New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said that it has carried out searches at 15 locations in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha in connection with the coal smuggling case.

A CBI spokesperson here said that the agency sleuths carried out searches at the premises of Eastern Coalfields Ltd General Manager Subhash Mukhopadhyay, retired General Manager Sushanta Banerjee, colliery agent H.C. Moitra, Manager, Security, Mukesh Kumar, and Inspector, Security, Rinku Behra.

He said that the agency sleuths recovered Rs 20 lakh cash, jewellery, and property documents from the premises of Mukhopadhyay, and property documents, locker keys and incriminating documents from the possession of other accused.

The CBI had registered a case involving alleged illegal coal pilferage on November 27 last year, naming Anup Majhi, Eastern Coalfield Ltd General Managers Amit Kumar Dhar and Jayesh Chandra Rai, ECL chief of security Tan Das, area security inspector Kunustoria Dhananjay Rai, and SSI and security in-charge Kajora area Debashish Mukherjee.

The CBI had also recorded the statement of Rujira Banerjee, wife of Trinamool Congress MP and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee, and his sister-in-law Menka Gambhir in the last week of February this year.

The CBI had carried out searches at more than 100 places in various states. It had also arrested Vikas Mishra, brother of Trinamool youth leader Vinai Mishra.