Illegal mining: Enforcement Directorate seizes Rs 2.12 crore after search operations at eight locations in Haryana

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Yamunanagar, January 10

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has recovered and seized unaccounted Rs 2.12 crore, bank lockers, digital devices, incriminating documents regarding immovable and movable properties during a search operation conducted at eight locations in Haryana, Chandigarh and Jharkhand on January 9.

Rs 35cr revenue loss to state govt

The ED statement has said the investigations were initiated on the basis of FIRs registered by the Haryana Police in Panchkula. These FIRs are related to illegal mining at Rattewali village in Panchkula, wherein, a loss of at least Rs 35 crore revenue has been caused to the state government by excess mining of sand, gravel, boulder and others minor minerals far in excess of the permissible limit.

The search operation was conducted in Yamunanagar district also under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

In a statement, the ED said the searches were conducted in relation to a case of illegal mining. The statement has further said the investigations were initiated on the basis of FIRs registered by the Haryana Police in Panchkula. These FIRs are related to illegal mining at Rattewali village in Panchkula, wherein, a loss of at least Rs 35 crore of revenue has been caused to the state government by excess mining of sand, gravel, boulder and others minor minerals far in excess of the permissible limit.“Search operations resulted in the recovery and seizure of incriminating evidences digital devices, incriminating documents regarding immovable and movable properties, bank lockers and unaccounted cash of Rs 2.12 crore,” reads the statement of the ED.

Meanwhile, in another separate statement, the ED has said it conducted search operations under the PMLA, 2002 on January 4, 2024, on 20 premises located in the cities of Faridabad, Sonepat, Yamunanagar, Karnal, Chandigarh and Mohali in relation to a case of large-scale illegal mining of sand, boulder and gravels prevalent in Yamunanagar and adjacent districts of Haryana. The ED investigation has revealed that the illegal mining was done by numerous screening plants and stone crusher owners in Yamunanagar district through illegal transportation of the mined minerals without generating the requisite e-rawana bills from the Mining Department portal, or by production of fake physical copies of the e-rawana bills on inspection and other modus operandi to evade the authorities.

The statement of the ED further reads that during the search operations, INR amounting to Rs 5.29 crore, gold valued around Rs 1.89 crore, two vehicles, various electronic devices, documents related to investment in India and abroad and various other documents of incriminating nature have been seized.

Additionally, five illegal firearms, numerous cartridges and rounds of ammunition and 138 bottles of liquor (quantity beyond permissible legal limits) were also recovered.

The statement added that the ED had arrested former MLA Dilbag Singh and Kulwinder Singh from Yamunanagar district on Januay 8 under the provisions of the PMLA, 2002. They were produced before the Special Court (PMLA) on January 9, which had granted one week ED custody.