CBI Seizes Cash, Jewels Worth Rs 75 Lakh From Jharkhand Ex-Mining Officer

The CBI has seized cash amounting to more than Rs 13 lakh and jewellery worth about Rs 52 lakh from former district mining officer, Sahibganj, Bibhuti Kumar during searches in poll-bound Jharkhand in connection with an illegal stone-mining case, officials said on Wednesday.

The agency had started its search operations at 20 locations in connection with the case, in which a former aide of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Pankaj Mishra, is also an FIR-named accused, they said.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) teams have seized Rs 75 lakh so far during the operation, including the seizure from the premises of Bibhuti Kumar, the officials said.

In addition to the cash and jewellery, the CBI has also seized investments worth Rs 11 lakh, documents pertaining to seven properties worth crores of rupees and fixed-deposit receipts worth around Rs 10 lakh from Bibhuti Kumar's premises, they said.

Polling for the Jharkhand Assembly is scheduled to take place on November 13 and November 20. The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and other INDIA bloc constituents will face off against the BJP and its NDA allies.

The agency registered the case on November 20, 2023 on the directions of the Jharkhand High Court.

In the FIR, the Ranchi unit of the CBI booked Mishra, Pavitra Kumar Yadav, Rajesh Yadav, Sanjay Kumar Yadav, Bacchu Yadav, Sanjay Yadav and Suvesh Mandal.

They were allegedly involved in the "pilferage and illegal extraction" of stones at Nimbu Pahar in Sahibganj.

"Investigations revealed that large-scale illegal-mining activities in Sahibganj district allegedly caused substantial losses to the government, primarily through unpaid royalties and the violation of mining laws," a CBI spokesperson said.

He said searches are being carried out at the premises of the suspects whose roles came up during further investigation.

He said field investigations suggest that key individuals and entities were allegedly involved in this operation, using multiple methods to conceal their activities and divert illicitly-obtained resources or money.

"Initial investigation gathered evidence, which revealed the involvement and nexus of key individuals and firms to carry out the illegal-mining activity and conceal the proceeds thus obtained," the spokesperson said.

The high court had directed the CBI to hold a preliminary enquiry into the conduct of the accused persons booked by the Sahibganj Police as also petitioner Bijay Hansda, who had sought to withdraw the writ petition.

It had issued the orders on the petition filed by Hansda, who had alleged that for two-and-a-half years, the "stone mafia" carried out "illegal mining" in connivance with government officials, including mining officials of his district. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)