ED seizes assets worth Rs 2.03 crore in left wing extremism case

New Delhi, Feb 27: The Enforcement Directorate has attached movable properties worth Rs 2.03 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) in a case of Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) of Jharkhand.

The naxalites used to collect funds through extortion from contractors, col traders, transporters in Magadh Amrapali Coal Block area of Jharkhand.

The attached assets include movable properties in form of vehicles held in the name of Bindeshwar Ganjhu and his firm M/s Maa Gange Coal Trading Private Limited.

ED initiated investigations under PMLA on the basis of the FIR registered by the Jharkhand Police. The police had also filed a chargesheet against Ganjhu.

The case was taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Ranchi, Jharkhand wherein it has filed two chargesheets against Binod Kumar Ganjhu and others.

Investigation conducted under PMLA by ED has revealed that Ganjhu used to collect levy from transporters and delivery order holders in Magadh Amrapali Coal block area in connivance with other extremists of Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC) in Chatra district of Jharkhand.

He being a member of the outlawed organisation TPC, was closely associated with top leaders thereof and acquired proceeds of crime in the name of himself as well as his firm which were projected and claimed as untainted properties. Immovable and movable assets worth Rs 2.89 crore belonging to the extremists of TPC viz. Binod Kumar Ganjhu, Pradeep Ram and their two firms were already attached earlier in this case which was duly confirmed by the PMLA Adjudicating Authority. Total attachment in the case is now Rs. 4.92 Crore.