In Chhattisgarh, ED arrests 3, including IAS officer, in money laundering case

Raipur, Oct 13: The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday arrested IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi and two other people after it conducted raids in a money laundering case in Chhattisgarh, officials said.

Businessman Sunil Agrawal of Indramani group and Laxmikant Tiwari, uncle of "absconding" businessman Suryakant Tiwari, have been taken into custody in the morning by the federal agency from state capital Raipur, they said.

The three people have been arrested under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and will be produced before a local court, where the ED will seek their further custody.

Vishnoi, CEO of the Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society, was questioned by the agency in Raipur on Wednesday. The arrests came after the agency launched multiple raids in Chhattisgarh on October 11 in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal levy extorted from transporters in the state by a purported nexus of government officials, businessmen and private entities.

The agency had also sealed the residence of IAS officer and Raigarh district Collector Ranu Sahu as she was not available during the raids. Sahu has informed the agency that she was undergoing a medical procedure and has assured cooperation in the investigation.