ED Seizes Rs 1.52 Crore Assets from Basanta Kumar Das in Odisha Illegal Mining Case
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has provisionally attached assets worth Rs 1.52 crore belonging to Basanta Kumar Das. This action is part of an investigation into alleged illegal mining activities at the Kasiabeda Iron Ore Mines in Odisha.
Details of the Case
The ED’s Bhubaneswar Zonal Office took this step under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. Basanta Kumar Das is the mining lease holder of Kasiabeda Iron Ore Mines and the proprietor of M/s Das Bhai Minerals.
The investigation began based on an FIR and charge-sheet filed by the Vigilance Department of the Odisha Police. The alleged illegal mining activities took place between 2005 and 2009.
Previous Arrests
Earlier, Anand Kumar Agarwal, Director of M/s Siddharth Sponge & Power Pvt. Ltd., was arrested for his involvement in the illegal mining activities in collaboration with Basanta Kumar Das. Search operations under section 17 of PMLA, 2002, were also conducted in this case.
Further investigations are ongoing.
Doubts Revealed
ED -: ED stands for the Directorate of Enforcement. It is a government agency in India that investigates financial crimes like money laundering.
Rs 1.52 Crore -: Rs 1.52 Crore means 1.52 crore rupees, which is a large amount of money in Indian currency. One crore is equal to 10 million.
Assets -: Assets are valuable things that a person owns, like money, property, or other valuable items.
Basanta Kumar Das -: Basanta Kumar Das is a person involved in the illegal mining case in Odisha. The ED has taken away his assets because of his involvement in illegal activities.
Illegal Mining -: Illegal mining means taking minerals like iron ore from the ground without permission from the government. It is against the law.
Odisha -: Odisha is a state in eastern India. It is known for its rich natural resources, including minerals like iron ore.
Kasiabeda Iron Ore Mines -: Kasiabeda Iron Ore Mines are specific mines in Odisha where iron ore is extracted. The illegal activities took place here.
FIR -: FIR stands for First Information Report. It is a document prepared by the police when they receive information about a crime.
Charge-sheet -: A charge-sheet is a document filed by the police in court, listing the charges against a person accused of a crime.
Odisha Police Vigilance Department -: The Odisha Police Vigilance Department is a special branch of the police in Odisha that investigates corruption and other illegal activities.
Anand Kumar Agarwal -: Anand Kumar Agarwal is another person involved in the illegal mining case. He was arrested earlier for his role in the crime.
