KOLKATA (IANS): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has significantly expanded its crackdown on the inter-state coal smuggling network, issuing fresh summons to seven additional traders on Tuesday. With the investigation now pivoting toward the deep-rooted financial linkages in Jharkhand, the total number of individuals under the agency’s scanner in this case has climbed to 15.
Focus Shifts to Jharkhand Supply Chain
The central agency’s renewed focus follows extensive intelligence gathering regarding the “proceeds of crime” being routed through industrial hubs in both states. In November 2025, the ED conducted a massive sweep across 40 locations, including Dhanbad and Dumka in Jharkhand, targeting prominent figures such as Lal Bahadur Singh and Anil Goyal.
During those operations, officials recovered over ₹14 crore in cash and jewelry, along with 120 land deeds. Investigators are now probing how forged documents were allegedly used to transport illegal coal from Jharkhand’s mines into West Bengal for laundering through coke plants and illegal toll booths.
High-Stakes Legal Battle and Supreme Court Intervention
The current intensification comes amid a major constitutional standoff involving the West Bengal government. The probe recently touched a flashpoint on January 8, when ED officials searched the Kolkata office of I-PAC and the residence of its director, Pratik Jain.
The investigation has reached the Supreme Court, which recently stayed FIRs filed by the West Bengal Police against ED officials. The apex court expressed grave concern over “interference by state agencies” in a central probe, warning that such obstruction could lead to lawlessness. The court has directed the preservation of all CCTV footage from the search sites to determine if evidence, including digital devices, was improperly removed during the confrontation.
Tracing the Money Trail
The seven newly summoned traders are expected to be grilled at the ED’s regional office to map the flow of illegal funds. Sources indicate that the agency is investigating:
- The involvement of influential political figures in protecting the cross-border smuggling route.
- The role of “shell companies” in Jharkhand used to disguise the origin of the coal.
- The connection between the 2023 murder of coal mafioso Raju Jha and the current money laundering suspects.
As the ED pieces together the logistics of this multi-crore racket, the investigation continues to highlight the complex, porous border operations between Jharkhand’s mining belt and West Bengal’s industrial centers.
