In connection with the alleged Rs 2,000 crore liquor scam in Chhattisgarh, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) detained a Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) employee on Monday when he was attending his mother’s burial, according to a central agency counsel.
According to Arvind Singh, he was attending to his mother’s final rituals in a crematory in Bhilai town when he was hauled up by the central agency. According to ED attorney Saurabh Pandey, Singh allegedly used to be a courier and used to collect money from the booze syndicate.
‘Singh was called for recording his statement under section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA)’ Pandey said. He stated that Singh had received a notification from the ED asking him to appear before the agency at his home in Bhilai Zone-1.
Singh was on his way to Bhilai on Monday to attend his mother’s funeral when the ED arrested him.
Singh was a senior yard master at the firm and had been on sabbatical for the previous three years, according to Jacob Kurian, general manager of the public relations department at the Bhilai Steel Plant. His leave of absence ended on March 31, but he claimed he did not report for duty.
The corporate management would shortly take the next step, Kurian said, adding that ‘We had sent notices but there was no reply from Arvind Singh’s end.’ Four people have already been detained by the ED in this matter, including Anwar Dhebar, brother of Raipur Mayor Aijaj Dhebar.
A chargesheet filed by the Income Tax department in connection with alleged tax evasion and irregularities in the spirits trade in Chhattisgarh and some other states is the source of the money laundering case.
Post Your Comments