New Delhi: Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached immovable and movable properties totalling of Rs 2.89 crore under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a case related to illegal collection of levy from contractors, coal merchants through criminal extortion and intimidation by the members of banned Left Wing Extremist (LWE) organisation Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC) in Magadh-Amrapali Coal Area in Chatra District in Jharkhand.
According to ED, the attached assets include immovable and movable properties held in the name of the Maoist Binod Kumar Ganjhu, Pradeep Ram and their family members.
The immovable properties are located in Hazaribagh in Jharkhand and movable properties include Rs 1.49 crore cash seized from the houses of accused persons, five vehicles worth Rs 89 Lakh as well as bank balances in eight bank accounts totaling Rs 35.18 Lakh.
The federal probe agency initiated investigations under PMLA on the basis of FIR and charge-sheet filed by Jharkhand Police against Binod Kumar Ganjhu, Pradeep Ram, Munesh Ganjhu, and Bindu Ganjhu under Sections 414, 384, 386, 387 & 120-B of IPC, 25(1-B)A, 26 & 35 of Arms Act and 17(1)(2) of Criminal Law Amendment Act.
Investigations conducted by probe agency revealed that Binod Kumar Ganjhu, Pradeep Ram and other Maoists were running local committees in name 'Magadh Organizing Committee' and 'Amrapali Shanti Samiti'. In the guise of the said committees, Binod Kumar Ganjhu and other accused used to extort levy from contractors, transporters, delivery order holders and coal merchants which was further handed over to the members of TPC organisation.
The accused had started proprietorship in their own name and acquired vehicles out of levy amount for transportation of coal to further launder the extorted levy as genuine money whereas the same were proceeds of crime generated through aforesaid criminal activity, the probing agency said.(UNI)