Kolkata, May 11 (). The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday said it has made two new arrests in connection with its probe into the alleged multi-crore coal smuggling scam in West Bengal.
The two arrested persons are Sunil Jha, former director of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL), and Anand Kumar Singh, former inspector of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
Sources said that both the arrested persons were closely related to the kingpin of the alleged scam, Anoop Maji alias Lala. He was arrested on Thursday after being questioned at the CBI’s Nizam Palace office here.
This is the first time that a (former) CISF officer has been held by the CBI in connection with the probe into the alleged coal smuggling scam. Sources said several discrepancies were found in the statements given by Jha and Singh during interrogation, following which they were arrested.
Both will be produced before the special CBI court in Asansol on Friday.
On July 7, 2022, the CBI filed a chargesheet in the same court against 41 accused persons, including former General Managers, Chief Managers and Safety Officers of Eastern Coalfields Limited, as well as private individuals and private companies.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday sent a proposal to the Union Coal Ministry to declare illegal coal mines in the state legal.
Mamta said, let the central and state governments together do this. This will end the illegal supply of coal and the jobs of the people associated with these mines will also be confirmed. This will also increase the revenue of the government. I am requesting the Union Coal Minister to consider this proposal.
SGK
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