New Delhi, December 10 (HBTV): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached immovable and movable properties worth INR 21.47 crore owned by Chhattisgarh cadre IAS officer Ranu Sahu and nine others in connection with the District Mineral Fund (DMF) 'scam,' an investigation under money laundering, the agency reported on Tuesday.

ED's Raipur zonal office attached assets including lands, residential properties, fixed deposits, and bank balances following a provisional attachment order issued on December 9, 2024. The properties belong to IAS officer Ranu Sahu and nine other accused individuals: Maya Varrier, Radheshyam Mirjha, Bhuvneshwar Singh Raj, Virendra Kumar Rathore, Bharosa Ram Thakur, Sanjay Shende, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, Hrishabh Soni, and Rakesh Kumar Shukla. These individuals are under investigation for their involvement in the DMF scam under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

The ED initiated the investigation based on three different First Information Reports (FIRs) filed by Chhattisgarh Police under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. The reports alleged that state government officials, in collusion with contractors, conspired to siphon off DMF funds.

'For fraudulently securing the DMF contracts, the contractors paid huge amounts of commission and illegal gratification, ranging from 15 per cent to 42 per cent of the contract value, to corrupt public officials,' the ED said in a statement.

The investigation revealed that a significant portion of the funds credited to contractors' bank accounts was either withdrawn in cash by the contractors or transferred to accommodation entry providers. These transactions were falsely represented as the purchase of goods, though no actual purchase occurred. The cash was used for bribing public officials responsible for awarding DMF contracts and clearing vendors' bills. Part of the cash was also used by the vendors for personal gain.

During the investigation, ED conducted multiple searches at the premises of contractors, public servants, and their associates, leading to the seizure of unaccounted cash and jewellery worth INR 2.32 crore. These amounts were found to be part of bribes received by public servants during the execution of DMF works.

As of December 9, the total Proceeds of Crime (POC) quantified in this case amount to INR 90.35 crore, with properties worth INR 23.79 crore provisionally attached, seized, and frozen.

(ANI)