Bihar sand-mining case | Enforcement Directorate conducts fresh searches

“The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 16 conducted fresh searches in Bihar as part of a money-laundering case investigation linked to alleged illegal sand mining in the State,” official sources said.

“The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 16 conducted fresh searches in Bihar as part of a money-laundering case investigation linked to alleged illegal sand mining in the State,” official sources said.

“The searches are being conducted in an around Arrah town in Bhojpur district. The premises of a businessman and some linked persons are being covered,” the sources said. The Central agency last week arrested Subhash Yadav, a man allegedly linked to the Rashtriya Janata Dal, in this case.

The money-laundering case stems from a clutch of 20 FIRs registered by the Bihar Police against a company named Broadsons Commodities Private Limited (BCPL) and its directors alleging they were engaged in illegal mining and sale of sand without using e-challans.

Bihar MLC and JD(U) leader Radha Charan Sah, his son Kanhaiya Prasad and directors of Broadsons Commodities including Mithilesh Kumar Singh, Baban Singh and Surendra Kumar Jindal were arrested by the ED last year and they are currently lodged in jail under judicial custody.

A charge sheet was filed against them in November, 2023, before a Patna special PMLA court. The alleged sand trade is controlled by a syndicate that invested funds in the said company and the syndicate earns profit by selling illegal sand which is nothing but proceeds of crime, as per the ED.

“Subhash Yadav is stated to be the “key syndicate” member in BCPL,” the sources said. The ED has claimed that proceeds of crime to the tune of ₹161 crore were generated in this case.